Perplexity Personal Computer turns a spare Mac into a local 24/7 AI agent

Perplexity has launched Personal Computer, a tool that turns a spare Mac into an around-the-clock AI agent with full access to the user's files and applications.

The new product installs on a dedicated device on your local network and runs without interruption. Unlike most cloud-based AI assistants, Personal Computer runs directly on your own hardware. You can control it remotely from any smartphone, tablet or other computer, wherever you are. In effect, it is an always-on AI node inside your home infrastructure.

Perplexity calls the product a "digital proxy for you." The system gets full access to the Mac's file system, installed applications and user data. That opens up capabilities that ordinary cloud assistants lack: the agent can search documents by content, automate routine tasks, manage files and launch applications on your behalf, without sending data to third-party servers.

Personal Computer is a deeper version of Perplexity Computer, which the company announced a month ago. That product was a cluster of cloud agents positioned as a "universal digital worker." The new release goes further: instead of a faceless agent in the cloud, the user gets a system that lives on their own device and knows their specific files, applications and work habits. Personalization is the key difference.

The bet on a "spare Mac" is a deliberate marketing choice. Many tech-savvy users have older laptops or desktop Macs sitting idle. Personal Computer turns such a device into a useful piece of infrastructure, a sort of local AI server. The barrier to entry is minimal: there is no need to buy specialized hardware, just use what you already have.

Perplexity's move fits into a broader strategy. The company built its name as a fast search engine with AI answers, but the market is shifting. Users no longer want just information; they want to delegate tasks. Anthropic with Computer Use, OpenAI with Operator, Google with Project Mariner: all the major players are rapidly building out agentic capabilities. Personal Computer is Perplexity's answer to that trend, with an emphasis on locality and proximity to personal data.

The security question remains open. A system with full file access that runs 24/7 and is controlled remotely presents a broad attack surface. The company says data is processed locally, but details of the security architecture have not yet been disclosed. For users who handle sensitive information, this is the key question before deciding.

The market for personal AI agents is only taking shape. If Perplexity can persuade users to choose a local, always-available agent over cloud alternatives, that would be a significant point of differentiation against competitors with far greater resources.