AI Personal Assistant + Internet Search Powers Quick Guide with n8n & perplexity.ai [no code!]

Introduction

In this guide, we will walk through adding internet search capabilities to our personal AI assistant, Angie, utilizing the perplexity.ai API alongside n8n. Angie is designed to help us manage emails, calendar entries, tasks, and contacts effortlessly. With the integration of perplexity.ai, Angie will gain the ability to check current global events, U.S. news, real-time stock updates, and much more!

Overview of Angie’s Capabilities

With our enhancements, you can interact with Angie in more intelligent and informative ways. For example:

Check Calendar: "Hey Angie, what's on my calendar today?"
Create Appointment: "Hey Angie, can you create a new appointment for tomorrow to have a follow-up meeting with George at 12 PM?"
Stock Price Inquiry: "Hey Angie, what's the stock price for NVIDIA?"

What is perplexity.ai?

Perplexity.ai is a conversational search engine that combines the best features of search engines and AI chat. It allows real-time information retrieval, has the capability of citing sources, and preserves transparency in its responses. By leveraging the perplexity API, we'll enable Angie to access the latest news and stock information directly.

Getting Started with perplexity.ai API

API Key: First, you’ll need to visit the perplexity.ai website to obtain your API key.
Supported Models: Perplexity.ai offers three online models – 8 billion, 70 billion, and 405 billion parameters. The online suffix indicates access to current internet data. For our use case, the 8 billion model is quite effective, cost-efficient, and adequate for simpler queries.

Building the Perplexity Tool with n8n

To implement this feature, we will create a tool using n8n that makes API calls to the perplexity.ai endpoint. The steps include:

1. Define the Tool:

Name the tool and provide a description to guide the AI on when to use it.
Specify an input parameter for the query that the AI will search.

2. Execute Workflow:

Trigger the workflow to call the perplexity API using a POST request.

3. Authentication:

Set up header-based authentication. The authorization method requires a Bearer token followed by your API key.

4. Define Request Body:

Specify the model to use (e.g., the small online model) and pass in the system message along with the user query.

5. Process Output:

Capture the results and citations from the API response.

Using a real example, when we ask Angie: "What’s the stock price for NVIDIA?" the system will execute the query, get back the stock price, and include the source of the information.

Conclusion

In just a few steps, we have successfully enhanced Angie’s capabilities by integrating her with the perplexity.ai API. Angie is now equipped with the superpower of real-time information retrieval, making her a more effective personal assistant.

Keywords

Personal AI Assistant
perplexity.ai
n8n
API Integration
Real-Time Information
Stock Updates
Source Citations
Conversational Search Engine

FAQ

Q1: What is perplexity.ai?
A1: Perplexity.ai is a conversational search engine that allows users to engage with AI while retrieving real-time information from the internet.

Q2: How does Angie help in managing tasks?
A2: Angie can manage emails, calendar entries, tasks, and contacts effectively, and with the integration of perplexity.ai, she can provide real-time news and stock updates.

Q3: Do I need coding skills to integrate perplexity.ai with Angie?
A3: No, the integration is performed using n8n, which allows for a no-code approach to build workflows.

Q4: What type of queries can I ask Angie?
A4: You can ask Angie for calendar events, appointment management, stock prices, and even updates on current events.

Q5: How do I get started with the perplexity API?
A5: First, obtain an API key from the perplexity.ai website, then follow the steps provided in this guide to set up the integration.