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AI for researching a market or competitor
Good research starts with a sharp question and ends with sources you can check. AI search tools are fast at gathering and summarizing, but they can be wrong or out of date, so the citations matter more than the summary. Our view: use a tool that shows its sources, verify the claims you plan to repeat, and write the conclusion yourself.
Top pick: Perplexity
Perplexity searches the web and cites its sources, which makes it easy to check every claim before it goes into a decision or a deck.
AI answer engine that searches the web and cites its sources.
Perplexity detailsAlternatives
ChatGPT
OpenAI's general-purpose AI assistant for drafting, analysis, and Q&A.
Writing & CommsGemini
NewGoogle's AI assistant for research, writing, and analysis across Google apps.
Research & AnalysisNotebookLM
Google's AI notebook that answers questions grounded in your documents.
Research & AnalysisElicit
NewAI research assistant that finds and summarizes academic papers.
Research & AnalysisHow to use AI for this job
- Write down the decision the research is for and 3-5 specific questions.
- Run each question through a cited search tool and open the sources for anything important.
- Collect the best sources, reports, and your own notes in one place, then ask a grounded notebook to compare them.
- For academic or evidence-heavy questions, use a research assistant that searches papers.
- Summarize what you found, what you could not confirm, and what you would do next, in your own words.
FAQ
Can I trust AI research summaries?
Not without checking. Open the sources, confirm numbers and dates, and treat anything without a source as a lead, not a fact.
Should I use AI on competitors' private information?
No. Stick to public sources and information you are allowed to use.
Which tool should I start with?
Start with one that cites sources. Add a document-grounded tool once you have a pile of material to compare.
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