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AI models FAQ

Can the AI on AskAI.free search the web?

Short answer: Yes, switch to a Perplexity-powered search model and the AI will browse, cite live sources and answer with current information.

The standard chat models: ChatGPT 4o, Claude Sonnet 4, Gemini. These models answer from their training data. They don't browse the live web, so they can't tell you today's stock price or report on news from the last few weeks. Each one has a fixed knowledge cutoff, a date after which the model simply knows nothing, and the cutoffs typically run 6 to 18 months behind the present.

For real-time information, switch to one of the Perplexity search models in the model picker. They run a live web search, read the results, and produce an answer with inline citations you can click. This is the right tool for:

  • News, stock prices, sports scores, weather
  • Product reviews and comparisons
  • Anything where "recent" matters
  • Research where you need verifiable sources

For everything else: writing, brainstorming, coding, analysis. A regular chat model is faster and usually higher quality.

The danger zone is asking a chat model a time-sensitive question anyway. It won't refuse, it will answer confidently from stale training data, and a confidently wrong answer is a hallucination you might not catch. A model with an early-2024 cutoff will describe 2023 prices, old API versions and superseded laws as if they were current.

A workflow that gets the best of both: use a Perplexity model to gather current facts with citations, then switch the same conversation to Claude or ChatGPT to turn those facts into a report, email or analysis. The model picker keeps your conversation visible while you switch, so you don't lose the research when you move to the writing step.

When to use web search instead of chat

Use web search whenever freshness or verification matters. Prices, laws, sports scores, product specs, software releases, news, company facts and travel details can change quickly, so a normal chat model may answer confidently from old training data. A Perplexity-powered model is the better tool because it searches live pages and gives citations you can inspect.

For evergreen work, a chat model is often better: drafting, brainstorming, explaining concepts, editing, coding help and summarising text you provide. A strong research workflow is search first for facts, then chat for synthesis, structure and writing.

How to apply this answer

Before asking, run one test: does the answer depend on anything from the last 12 months? If yes, open the model picker and choose a Perplexity search model, then check at least one of the inline citations before acting on the answer. If no, stay on a regular chat model, it will be faster and usually better written.

Related FAQ pages

Try it in a real chatYour first question is free, no signup needed. Ask with your real context, or compare ChatGPT 4o and Claude Sonnet 4 on the same prompt.

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