Perplexity, an AI search engine, has taken a direct swipe at Google’s AI misstep in its latest advert. The commercial stars Lee Jung-jae, best known for his role in Squid Game, who finds himself trapped in a room and must answer a series of questions to escape. One of these questions calls out Google’s widely mocked AI failure from last year.
In the ad, Lee asks, “How do I make cheese stick to a pizza?” He first tries searching on a fictional search engine called “Poogle” but is left unimpressed by the results. He then turns to Perplexity’s AI assistant, who answers straightforwardly and accurately: “Use fresh, low-moisture mozzarella. Don’t use glue.” This is a clear jab at Google’s AI-generated search result that bizarrely suggested mixing “about 1/8 cup of Elmer’s glue in the sauce” to help the cheese stick to the pizza.
Google’s AI mistake and the backlash
Google’s AI Overviews, which summarise search results using AI, faced intense scrutiny after launching last year. While designed to make searching more manageable, the feature quickly became infamous for its inaccurate and sometimes absurd responses. One of the most ridiculed examples was the glue-on-pizza advice, which spread across the internet, leading to widespread criticism of Google’s AI reliability.
Despite these issues, Google recently announced plans to expand the use of AI Overviews. This means more search queries will now be answered with AI-generated summaries—whether users want them or not. This move has sparked concerns about misinformation and the reliability of AI-powered search engines.
Perplexity’s rise and plagiarism concerns
Perplexity is an “answer engine” that responds quickly and accurately to users’ questions. With growing competition in the AI search space, the platform has gained attention as an alternative to Google’s traditional search model. However, Perplexity has also faced criticism, with some accusing it of copying content from other sources without proper attribution.
Despite these concerns, Perplexity’s latest ad highlights the growing battle between AI-powered search engines. With Google doubling down on AI-generated results and competitors like Perplexity gaining traction, the race to dominate the future of search is heating up.
