Artificial intelligence is gradually changing from a tool that we ask questions to an assistant that can actually work for us. Unsurprisingly, this is exactly the direction that Perplexity is now heading in, as it announced an interesting new feature for Mac owners a few hours ago. Its advanced AI agent Perplexity Computer it can now operate completely locally, i.e. directly on the computer without the need to send the processed data to cloudHowever, there is one fairly major catch, which means that not everyone will enjoy this feature.
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Perplexity Computer from the classics chatWhat makes it different from bots is that it doesn't just stop at answering questions, but can independently plan and perform more complex tasks, work with documents, analyze files, or combine several activities into one workflow. Instead of just explaining how to do something, it can get straight to work.
Now, it does not have to rely on remote servers for these activities. Thanks to the local mode, the AI model can run directly on the Mac, which will be appreciated especially by users working with sensitive documents or company data. Another advantage is the ability to use some functions without an internet connection. Perplexity uses Qwen 3.6 models and its own modified PPLX model for local operation ProHowever, if the user needs up-to-date information from the Internet or a more computationally demanding task, he can still use cloudelectronic processing.
A powerful Mac is a must
However, locality, unsurprisingly, also carries with it a major catch, which you probably already guessed. Perplexity recommends a Mac with a chip for local operation. Apple Silicon and at least 36 GB of unified memory, which is memory that you already have to configure for an additional fee. Although this is not a strict minimum, but on weaker machines, ideal functioning cannot be expected. However, an alternative is at least the Hybrid Compute mode, which combines local processing of private data with cloudnew AI models. It can run on Macs with as little as 24 GB of memory.
The new local mode is available now in the Perplexity app for macOS, but only to subscribers of the plans Pro, Max and Enterprise. Simply download the current application, install a supported AI model, and choose local processing.
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Personally, I find it particularly interesting that similarly advanced AI tools are starting to move directly into our computers. If this trend catches on, RAM capacity may soon be more important than ever when choosing a new Mac. However, with a bit of exaggeration, I would like to add that in times of a raging memory crisis that is fundamentally increasing the price of a plethora of electronics, this is pretty bad news.
