When Perplexity saved the Rebel Kid in Mykonos

With India the second-largest market for ChatGPT after the United States, it is fair to assume that many of the country’s artificial intelligence users also turn to Perplexity AI.

Even so, your correspondent was taken aback to find a real-life mishap transformed into a branded tale by The Rebel Kid, Apoorva Mukhija in real life, and how Perplexity supposedly saved her life in Mykonos.

While dancing on a nightclub table, she slipped and fell, shattering the glass in her hand. A shard pierced her thigh. At 2am she was rushed to hospital, where the emergency room was staffed only by a medical student volunteer. He suggested she might need stitches. 

Unsure, she consulted Perplexity, asking whether stitches and a tetanus shot could wait three days. The chatbot, citing sources, firmly said no. The next day she used it again to locate a hospital where her insurance would be accepted. Nine stitches later, she was told to rest. She ignored the advice and continued her holiday.

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The more curious point is not the injury but the marketing. Why would Perplexity bother enlisting influencers when, by now, everyone seems to use it? Perhaps because it has partnered with Airtel, which is luring subscribers by offering free access to the chatbot’s premium services, normally priced at Rs 17,000 a year.

The discount underscores India’s importance in the battle for users. A few months ago ChatGPT announced an India-only paid plan, the cheapest in the world. Less than a fortnight ago it launched an outdoor campaign across the country, emphasising how its services fit into everyday life.

As chatbots become ever more ubiquitous, the real story is not their advice but their ambition. In India, every interaction is also a marketing opportunity, and these AI firms are sparing no effort to win users’ attention and loyalty.