After Indian influencers, Perplexity turns to Lewis Hamilton & Eric André

AI chatbot Perplexity’s new ad leans into what’s now a daily instinct: ask your AI everything.

For creator The Rebel Kid, that meant checking if she needed stitches after a Mykonos party mishap. For CarryMinati, it was helping a boomer get up to speed online. And now, F1 champion Lewis Hamilton joins in.

In a two-minute film, Hamilton’s neighbour and comedian Eric André breezily answers motorcycle care questions while consulting Perplexity. Hamilton too turns to it for advice, proof that no one is immune to the habit of outsourcing curiosity.

Perplexity’s message is clear. Whether you are in a bind, preparing for an interview, or trying to impress someone next door, it wants to be your first stop for answers. The ad humanises the chatbot, reminding viewers that we have always turned to someone for knowledge. Only this time, that someone is an AI that claims to know everything on the internet.

Back in India, Perplexity’s influencer push looks strategic. With ChatGPT still the face of AI for most users, Perplexity is trying to carve out its own identity. Its tie-up with Airtel, which gives subscribers free pro access worth ₹17,000, is one way of doing that.

Whether it becomes everyone’s go-to source or just another voice in the algorithmic crowd depends on what we choose to ask next.