Perplexity Stands Firm Against Claims of Downgraded AI Service for Airtel Users

Perplexity Stands Firm Against Claims of Downgraded AI Service for Airtel Users

So, picture this: you’re scrolling through social media, and suddenly, you stumble upon a post claiming that the AI search engine Perplexity is serving up a watered-down version of its premium service to Airtel customers in India. Sounds kinda sketchy, right? Well, that’s exactly what’s been happening lately, and Perplexity is not having any of it. They’re coming out swinging, denying these accusations with some serious conviction.

The whole drama kicked off when Perplexity teamed up with Bharti Airtel, one of India’s biggest telecom companies, back in July 2025. The partnership was supposed to be a game-changer, giving Airtel’s massive user base—around 360 million subscribers—access to a free one-year subscription of Perplexity Pro. This subscription was valued at about 17,000 rupees annually and promised users the full suite of features, including advanced AI models like GPT-4.1 and Claude, the ability to perform up to 300 daily searches, upload files for analysis, and even generate images. Sounds amazing, right?

But wait, here’s where things got a little messy. Just as excitement was building, some users started raising eyebrows. A post on Reddit, specifically in the r/developersIndia forum, caught fire. A user did a deep dive comparing three different Perplexity accounts: a standard paid Pro account, a free account, and the one bundled with Airtel. And what did they find? They claimed the Airtel version was lagging behind.

Imagine this: you’re trying to get quick answers for a project, and your buddy’s using the paid version of Perplexity, while you’re stuck waiting for responses that feel like they’re coming from a dial-up connection. The user alleged that the Airtel-bundled version was slower, sometimes missing citations, and lacked the visual elements like charts that the paid version had. They even went so far as to label it a “stripped-down ‘Pro-Lite’ version.” Ouch! That’s a pretty harsh critique, especially when you’re expecting a premium experience.

As you can imagine, this post went viral, sparking a heated debate among users. Some were left wondering if they were getting the short end of the stick. After all, when you’re promised a premium service, you kinda expect it to deliver, right?

In response to the growing uproar, Perplexity wasn’t about to sit quietly. Jesse Dwyer, the head of communications for the company, stepped up to the plate. He firmly stated, “I can assure you that it is absolutely false that Airtel customers get a different version of Perplexity Pro than our Pro (paid) subscribers.” He called the claims “misinformation,” suggesting that sometimes, narratives like this spread online just to stir up engagement.

Dwyer went on to emphasize how important India is to Perplexity and reassured users that Airtel customers are indeed getting the full-featured Pro experience. Both Perplexity and Airtel have reiterated that the partnership is designed to provide all the advertised features, including access to advanced AI models and file analysis. They even pointed users to their official help center, which states that users can “experience the full range of Perplexity Pro features.”

But here’s the thing: this whole situation shines a light on a bigger issue in the AI industry. It’s not just about having a cool product; it’s about building trust with your users. For companies like Perplexity, teaming up with major telecom operators can be a shortcut to reaching millions of users. But if the product doesn’t live up to the hype, it can lead to a backlash that’s hard to recover from.

This incident serves as a reminder that clear communication is key. When you’re dealing with a massive audience, even small discrepancies in performance can blow up into major criticism. As AI tools become more integrated into our daily lives, the need for transparency and genuine user experience is more important than ever.

So, whether you’re an Airtel customer or just someone curious about AI, it’s crucial to keep an eye on how these partnerships unfold. After all, we all want the best experience possible, especially when it comes to tech that’s supposed to make our lives easier.