In a major partnership announcement that has recently been made, Snap Inc. has now confirmed that Perplexity AI will become the default artificial intelligence assistant on Snapchat, which is starting in January 2026.
This collaboration marks a significant shift in Snapchat’s AI strategy; thus, it would be integrating a more advanced, conversational, and even search-capable AI directly within the app.
Perplexity, which is also known for its AI-powered conversational search engine, will replace Snapchat’s existing “My AI” chatbot.
The integration thus aims to enhance user experience by offering real-time answers, contextual insights, and even various kinds of in-chat search capabilities without leaving the Snapchat platform.
Users will thus be able to ask Perplexity all types of questions directly within chats or stories, and will receive summarised, accurate, and relevant information instantly.
According to Snap CEO Evan Spiegel, the partnership will also help make Snapchat “the most useful and interactive social app powered by generative AI.”
Meanwhile, Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas has recently stated that the collaboration will expand Perplexity’s reach to Snapchat’s over 400 million monthly active users, thus enabling large-scale adoption of its AI technology.
Reports have also suggested the deal is valued at around $400 million, which would cover licensing, integration, and even long-term AI development.
Perplexity’s technology will also help to power a variety of new features, including AI-driven search results, even going via smart recommendations, and also going through content discovery tools within the app.
The AI will also support creators and brands by improving the feature of ad targeting and engagement through its system of intelligent suggestions.
Industry experts thus also believe this partnership could redefine the role of AI in social media, thus combining Perplexity’s advanced search capabilities with Snapchat’s massive user base.
The integration will initially roll out in only the selected regions, which will be followed by a global release by mid-2026.
With this move, Snapchat is now going to be the one that joins the growing trend of integrating powerful AI assistants so as to enhance user interaction, thus positioning Perplexity as a major player in the evolving landscape of both areas, the conversational and generative AI.
