Perplexity global downloads big dump by 80%! Three major factors extinguished the "AI version of Google" rise myth.

The first giant to fall in the AI competition? Well-known investor Sasha Kaletsky recently revealed the latest statistics on the X platform, indicating that Perplexity AI, dubbed the “AI version of Google,” has seen its global app downloads plummet by about 80% in the past six weeks. (Background: a16z former partner's heavyweight tech report: How will AI consume the world?) (Context: Ray Dalio: It's too early to dump AI stocks now! Because the “long wick candle” that pops the bubble hasn't come into play) Well-known investor Sasha Kaletsky recently revealed the latest statistics on the X platform, indicating that Perplexity AI, dubbed the “AI version of Google,” has seen its global app downloads plummet by about 80%. This statistic period spans from October 15, 2025, to November 25, with Perplexity's download curve showing an almost vertical decline, contrasting sharply with the rapid growth in the first half of this year: during the second quarter, Perplexity's downloads in the Indian market surged by 600% to 2.8 million due to a partnership with Airtel. New data: Perplexity's global app downloads have dropped 80% in the last six weeks. Equally concerning is what the drop implies: that the earlier growth was mostly from paid marketing (organic growth rarely drops that quickly). pic.twitter.com/EwpCsPjMeR — Sasha Kaletsky (@SashaKaletsky) November 25, 2025 Reasons for Perplexity's download plunge? Behind the sharp decline in downloads, market analysts have proposed multiple possible reasons. First, Perplexity's previous rapid growth heavily relied on paid marketing and promotional partnerships, such as app store ads, telecom pre-installs, and cashback. Once the marketing budget tightens or activities end, user acquisition drops sharply, indicating insufficient organic growth momentum. For example, X user Jay Patel pointed out: Since July 2025, about 50% of Perplexity AI app's global downloads have come from the partnership program with Airtel in India. This program offered all Airtel users a free one-year Perplexity Pro subscription. Because of this, the growth was destined to slow down; moreover, ChatGPT also launched a free 12-month “GPT GO” version for the Indian market on November 4, further diverting user attention. Secondly, there are concerns about product experience. Recent community feedback has indicated that the quality of Perplexity's responses has declined in recent months, including an increase in hallucination rates, deliberately shortened response lengths, and insufficiently precise source citations, leading to declines in both new user conversion rates and old user retention. Thirdly, the market competition has intensified. The three giants, OpenAI, Google, and xAI, have fully shifted to ecosystem competition, quickly capturing user attention and usage time, putting independent players like Perplexity, which focus on single breakthroughs, under severe pressure. For example, X user @AInewshuborg pointed out: Haha, basically the entire tech circle has long seen this day coming. Perplexity will inevitably hit this wall; the root cause is that it addresses a problem of “non-existent large-scale demand.” It essentially combines a search engine + LLM into a nice UI, but this model lacks a long-term moat because: . Google simply adds AI summaries to search results (they've already done that) . ChatGPT can browse the web (it can do that now too) . Claude can search (it can do that too) The people who would use Perplexity long-term are essentially just these few types: early tech adopters who like to try new things, those who follow trends after seeing influencers or KOLs recommend it, and paid users who were crazily bought by them. That's it. Perplexity's alarm has sounded Among the reasons mentioned, especially the external competitive pressure from Perplexity, genuinely reflects the current development and competition trends in the AI field: led by Sam Altman’s OpenAI, Google’s Gemini, and Musk’s Grok, the three giants are fully engaged in building a complete AI ecosystem, corroborating a saying: What others have, I have too; what others don't have, I still have, and users will vote with their feet. Therefore, for Perplexity, this 80% download drop is undoubtedly a loud warning. If it cannot quickly shift from “burning money for growth” to “product-driven retention,” it will be extremely difficult to withstand the siege from the giants. Industry analysts believe that if it can maintain a user retention rate of above 85% and continuously optimize model quality and response experience, Perplexity still has a chance to survive in the AI search niche; otherwise, under the continuous assault of giants like ChatGPT, Perplexity's market space is likely to be further compressed. Related reports JP Morgan: AI supercycle drives, S&P 500 index expected to grow another 17% in 2026 Cathie Wood states “AI is not a bubble”: It's replicating the moment of wealth explosion on the internet Berachain exposed VC refundable “secret agreement” destroys user trust? Crypto lawyer: Actually unable to exercise rights <Perplexity global downloads plummet 80%! Three factors extinguish the growth myth of “AI version of Google”> This article was first published in BlockTempo, the most influential blockchain news media.