Perplexity and Harvard researchers published the first large-scale study of real-world AI agent usage on December 9, 2025.
The paper, titled “The Adoption and Usage of AI Agents: Early Evidence from Perplexity,” draws from hundreds of millions of anonymized interactions with Perplexity’s Comet AI-powered browser and its integrated Comet Assistant, which launched in July 2025.
Researchers examined who adopts these agents, usage intensity, and delegated tasks. Analysis showed 57% of agent activity involves cognitive work. Productivity and workflow tasks account for 36% of the most common actions, while learning and research make up 21%.
Examples include procurement professionals scanning case studies for vendor decisions, students analyzing course materials, and finance workers filtering stock options with initial synthesis handled by the agent.
Usage evolves. New users begin with low-stakes queries such as travel suggestions or trivia. Over weeks, interactions shift toward productivity tasks, which show the highest retention. Early engagement in learning or research predicts long-term active use.
Why This Matters Today
The findings indicate AI agents function more as thinking partners that augment complex cognitive efforts than as digital concierges for routine chores.
Digital technologists generate 30% of queries, but knowledge-intensive fields like marketing, sales, management, and entrepreneurship show higher usage intensity once adopted.
Finance users direct 47% of queries to productivity, while students allocate 43% to learning. Personal contexts drive over half of query volume, highlighting versatility across professional, educational, and individual needs.
The study suggests AI agents follow a trajectory similar to early personal computers, transitioning from novelty tools to essential workflow components.
Our Key Takeaways:
- Perplexity and Harvard researchers analyzed hundreds of millions of Comet interactions and determined 57% of AI agent activity supports cognitive tasks rather than simple automation.
- Knowledge workers in technology and other intensive fields demonstrate the highest reliance on agents, with productivity tasks showing strong long-term retention.
- As agents mature, watch for deeper integration into professional workflows and potential expansion to mobile platforms beyond the current desktop focus.
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