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Perplexity bet on dedicated hardware for AI computer use. After 3 months and a working open-source MCP server, here is why software-first wins for most people.
Give Claude, Codex, or any AI assistant the ability to see your screen and automate any task. Runs locally on your Mac or PC.
Perplexity launched a dedicated hardware device that runs their AI and can control a computer on your behalf. Think of it as a pre-configured workstation where Perplexity's AI can see the screen, click buttons, fill out forms, and complete multi-step tasks. All from natural language instructions.
It's a significant move. Perplexity, known primarily as an AI search engine, is now entering the physical hardware space and betting that AI computer use is the next frontier. And they're right about that last part.
The launch of Perplexity Computer does something important: it validates AI computer use as a mainstream category - Until now, computer-using agents were mostly developer tools and research demos. Perplexity putting hardware behind it signals to the market that this is real, useful, and worth investing in.
This is great for everyone building in this space. Including us at OpenOwl. More people will discover that AI can actually operate their computer, and they'll start looking for solutions that fit their needs.
Perplexity's approach is hardware-first: buy a device, use their AI, get a turnkey experience. It's the Apple model. Control the entire stack.
Our approach at OpenOwl is software-first: install on your existing Mac or PC, use any AI assistant you want (Claude, Codex, Gemini, etc.), and keep full control over what the AI can access.
| Software-first (OpenOwl) | Hardware-first (Perplexity) | |
|---|---|---|
| AI model | Works with any AI model | Locked to Perplexity AI |
| Hardware | Runs on existing hardware | Requires new hardware purchase |
| Data | Data stays 100% local | Cloud-connected |
| Standard | Open MCP standard | Proprietary system |
| Setup | Developer-configurable | Consumer-friendly setup |
Neither approach is universally "better". They serve different users. But we believe the software-first approach has fundamental advantages for most professionals and developers.
AI is moving fast. The best model today might not be the best model next month. Locking into a single AI provider through a hardware purchase is a bet that one company will stay ahead forever. History suggests that's a bad bet.
OpenOwl is built on the Model Context Protocol (MCP) - An open standard for connecting AI to tools. This means:
There's an important dimension that doesn't get enough attention: when an AI is controlling your computer, it sees everything on your screen. Emails, Slack messages, financial data, customer information, passwords visible in managers.
With a cloud-connected device, that data flows through someone else's servers. With OpenOwl, processing happens entirely on your local machine. Screenshots never leave your computer. We track usage counts, not usage content.
For anyone working with sensitive data. Client information, proprietary documents, financial records. The local-first approach isn't just a preference. It's a requirement.
Perplexity's launch is the starting gun, not the finish line. We expect to see:
We're glad Perplexity made this move. More visibility for AI computer use means more people discovering that this technology exists and works. Some of those people will want the Perplexity approach. Many will want what we're building: an open, local, multi-AI solution that works on the hardware they already own.
OpenOwl is in beta today, with users automating real workflows across lead generation, competitive research, content creation, and daily operations. If you want to try AI computer use without buying new hardware or locking into one AI provider, we'd love to have you.