Perplexity acquires Carbon to expand external data connections

Perplexity, an AI search company, has acquired Carbon, a startup specializing in connectors that link external data sources to large language models (LLMs). The acquisition aims to let Perplexity users directly connect services like Notion and Google Docs to their AI search interface. As part of the deal, Carbon's entire team will join Perplexity to accelerate the development of these integration features. The acquisition highlights a growing trend in the AI industry, where major platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity are evolving to offer similar comprehensive solutions: chat interfaces that combine internet access with connections to users' personal data sources. Beyond the big players, there are a myriad of B2B AI solutions doing similar things.