Perplexity Launches Fully Local AI Agent with Nvidia Partnership
AI company Perplexity has launched Portable Computer, a version of its AI agent platform designed to run entirely on users' local hardware. The partnership with Nvidia aims to shift AI workloads off the cloud and eliminate token-based costs.
Perplexity has launched Portable Computer, an AI agent platform designed to run entirely on users' local hardware, developed in close partnership with Nvidia. This initiative seeks to move significant AI workloads from the cloud to local devices, starting with Nvidia DGX Spark and Linux machines equipped with Nvidia RTX GPUs.
The system ensures that user files and work remain on the device, eliminating cloud billing credits for locally processed tasks. By default, all tasks begin locally, with the system requesting permission before sending any steps to more powerful cloud-based frontier models. This approach addresses privacy concerns for sensitive data.
Nvidia views this launch as a strategic signal that local AI has moved beyond hobbyist interest to practical application, aiming to drive demand for its AI hardware. Perplexity's Portable Computer packages the complete AI stack, including models, tools, and inference engines, into a single, user-friendly application, simplifying setup compared to assembling separate components.
Portable Computer is available for Linux starting today for Pro, Max, Enterprise Pro, and Enterprise Max subscribers, with Windows support expected in September. The minimum hardware requirement is an RTX GPU with at least 24GB of VRAM, such as a GeForce RTX 3090 or newer.