By Deep Julka, Founder of WEBAIE
Recently, I watched an interview where Arvind, the founder of Perplexity, was being
interviewed by Silicon Valley Girl. He spoke of a future where advertising fades away and
intelligent agents take over, guiding our decisions and shaping our online world.
It was bold. It was ambitious. But it also left me with a critical question: if centralised AI
decides what is “relevant,” where does that leave individual choice? And if advertising
collapses, how do businesses, especially the SMEs that keep our economies alive connect
with their customers?
The Perplexity Model: Powerful but Centralised
There’s no doubt that Perplexity has created one of the most advanced retrieval engines
available today. Its outputs are quick, clear, and often impressive. But like any centralised
system, the questions it raises are just as important as the answers it gives.
– A shared backbone, not a private agent: Perplexity runs on a unified network of
retrieval systems and large language models. This means users don’t get an
independent AI working solely for them. Instead, everyone interacts with the same
central infrastructure.
– Efficiency vs. control: Streamlined answers feel convenient, but unlike Google’s
multiple results that hand choice back to you, Perplexity’s model narrows that
checkpoint of control.
– Ads in question: Perplexity has confirmed that it is testing advertising and
partnerships. But who chooses which ads are “relevant”? How are links prioritised?
Will the user really decide — or will the system?
As Arvind himself admitted, they are still “figuring it out.” That honesty is welcome, but it
shows just how many critical details are unresolved.
The Missing Piece: SMEs
One thing stood out to me. In this conversation, and in many discussions about AI, there was
little mention of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Large corporates are already building billion-dollar AI infrastructures. But SMEs — who are
the backbone of our economies — don’t have the luxury of waiting. They need solutions now.
Simple, affordable, ready-to-use. Not toolkits that demand technical expertise, budgets, and
time they simply don’t have.
And that’s where the real disruption lies.
The Bee Model: A New Standard in AI Communication
At WEBAIE, we took a different path. We built Bee not as another toolkit, but as a ready-to
use AI-powered communication network designed for the non-technical world.
Our belief is simple: AI is not about speed or fees. It’s about values.
– Privacy first: With Bee, your right to communication stays yours. You don’t have to
share your personal number. You get an AI number, protecting your details and
blocking unsolicited access.
– AI numbers today and tomorrow: AI-powered numbers exist in markets like the UK,
but Bee makes them simple. For businesses, we centralise and configure what’s
needed. For consumers, there’s no complexity. And in the future? Bee could simply
be an app on your phone — always there, always ready.
– Fraud protection: Fraud drains close to £100 billion from the UK economy each year.
Bee is designed as a firewall against scams, spam, and unwanted intrusion, keeping
your communication secure.
– Knowledge stays yours: Unlike many systems, Bee never shares your knowledge base
with the outside world. It lives in your private account. You can update it like a
preference centre, and you get insights back — on usage, communication patterns,
even sentiment. Transparency belongs to you.
– Responsible communication: Bee ensures all outreach is guided by your preferences.
Conversations happen when you want them, not when a system decides.
– SME empowerment: Instead of pouring billions into AI readiness, SMEs can deploy
Bee instantly — levelling the playing field with global giants while staying closer to
their customers.
– Compliance by design: Bee only uses publicly available data and is built to comply with
regulations from the ground up. For us, safety and compliance are non-negotiable.
– Simple scaling: Unlike toolkits that require technical expertise, Bee runs on a cost-per
minute model. It scales naturally with your needs, without disrupting existing
ecosystems or demanding complex integrations.
Why This Matters
At the heart of this debate lies a bigger truth: communication is a fundamental right.
Bee gives that right back to individuals. You decide who may contact you. You decide when.
You decide under what conditions.
For SMEs, Bee is nothing short of a revolution. While corporates invest in slow-moving, large
scale AI infrastructures, smaller businesses can use Bee today to deliver world-class service —
privately, respectfully, and fairly.
And for society, Bee represents a turning point: a move towards a communication network
built on consent, trust, and transparency, not just algorithms and ad placements.
Looking Ahead
We’re only just beginning. Imagine asking Bee to book a table at your favourite restaurant —
and all you need to do is arrive. Your table is already waiting.
We’re not there yet. But we’re working towards it. And every day Bee is getting smarter,
safer, and more personal.
Final Word
Perplexity has broken new ground and will keep pushing the boundaries. But as AI reshapes
our world, the bigger question remains: what values will shape AI?
At WEBAIE, our answer is clear. Bee is built on privacy, fairness, compliance, and
empowerment. It is a communication network for people, not just systems. For SMEs, not
just corporates.
We are proud to be a British AI business setting the benchmark for responsible
communication.
Try it for yourself and experience Bee at work at www.webaie.com.
It doesn’t just listen to the world.
It listens to you.
Disclaimer
The views expressed in this article are personal opinions based on publicly available
information. References to Perplexity are intended as fair commentary and observation, not
definitive statements of fact. WEBAIE makes no claim about Perplexity’s internal operations
beyond what has been publicly stated by its founders or reported in credible sources.
