Perplexity acquires Visual Electric for AI agents

The quick answer

Here is what the Perplexity acquisition of Visual Electric's team means for you and what to do now:

1. Visual Electric is shutting down. The platform will close in 90 days. Users Rshould export all their data and expect a prorated refund if they have an annual plan.
2. Perplexity is building AI agents. The Visual Electric team will lead a new "Agent Experiences" group, shifting Perplexity from an "answer engine" to a "do engine" that completes multi-step creative tasks.
3. You need to adapt your AI strategy. This move signals a market shift toward integrated AI agents. You must re-evaluate your AI tools and prepare your brand assets for more advanced AI content generation.

Perplexity's acquisition of the Visual Electric team

Perplexity has acquired the team behind the AI design tool, Visual Electric. This is not a product acquisition. The Visual Electric platform will be shut down over the next 90 days.

The core of this deal is talent. The Visual Electric team, including its founders, will now form a new "Agent Experiences" group inside Perplexity. Their mission is to build advanced creative capabilities into the platform.

What happens to Visual Electric users?

If you are a Visual Electric user, you have a clear timeline. The platform will remain active for 90 days following the announcement.

During this period, you can access your account, edit your projects, and export all your data. Annual subscribers will receive automatic prorated refunds. The company also promised a "special gift from Perplexity" to all users, delivered via email.

Your primary action is to back up your work now. Do not wait until the final day. Export everything you want to keep.

Why this AI acquisition matters for your business

This deal highlights a major shift in the AI industry. The focus is moving from single-task tools to integrated AI agents. Perplexity's goal is to compete directly with platforms like OpenAI and Google by creating workflows, not just answers.

An AI agent can handle multi-step requests. Instead of asking "What are the top 5 marketing trends?" you can ask an agent to "Write a blog post on the top 5 marketing trends, generate a hero image for it, and create 3 social media posts to promote it."

By bringing in a team known for creative AI design, Perplexity is signaling its intent to build powerful, all-in-one AI content generation capabilities.

The market is consolidating around major players

The AI landscape is filled with hundreds of specialized tools. This acquisition is a sign of market consolidation. Smaller, venture-backed startups are attractive targets for large, well-funded companies looking to quickly add features and talent.

This means the AI tools you rely on could change or disappear. A strategy built around a single, small tool is risky. A strategy built around a flexible workflow is more durable. This is where a fully managed digital presence becomes a stable foundation for your marketing.

3 steps to adapt your AI content strategy now

The Perplexity and Visual Electric news is a signal to act. Use this moment to review and update your approach to AI. This ensures you are ready for the next wave of AI agents.

Step 1: Audit your current AI tool stack

You cannot manage what you do not measure. Start by creating a simple inventory of every AI tool your team uses. Your list should include tools for:

• Text Generation: ChatGPT, Jasper, Copy.ai
• Image Generation: Midjourney, DALL-E 3
• Video Creation: Sora, Runway, Pika
• Automation: Zapier, Make

For each tool, document its core function, monthly cost, and how critical it is to your workflow. This audit reveals your dependencies and potential risks if a tool is suddenly acquired or sunsetted. It's a foundational step in managing your AI content generation process effectively.

Step 2: Prepare your brand assets for AI agents

Future AI agents will produce better results with clear brand direction. These agents will need access to your brand assets to create on-brand content automatically. A sloppy brand kit will lead to sloppy AI output.

Create a centralized folder with the following assets:

• Logos: Provide high-resolution SVG and PNG files with transparent backgrounds.
• Color Palette: List the exact HEX codes for your primary, secondary, and accent colors.
• Typography: Name your primary and secondary fonts. If they are custom, include the font files (TTF or OTF).
• Style Guide: A simple one-page PDF that shows your logo in use, color pairings, and font hierarchy.

A well-organized brand kit makes your business AI-ready. It ensures that as agents become more powerful, the content they generate aligns perfectly with your brand identity. This is key for a cohesive customer experience, from your website to your social media posts.

Step 3: Shift to project-based prompting

The way you interact with AI is about to change. Move away from simple, single-sentence prompts and start thinking in terms of projects and workflows. This is how you will command AI agents.

Old Prompt: "Create an image of a person working at a computer."

New Agent-Based Prompt: "Generate a hero image for a blog post titled 'The Future of Remote Work.' The style should be professional, bright, and optimistic, using our brand colors #0A74DA and #F5F5F5. Show a diverse team collaborating on a video call."

Practice writing detailed, multi-step instructions. Define the goal, the audience, the tone, the format, and the specific constraints. This skill will become essential as you delegate entire projects, not just small tasks, to AI. Authoritative sources like the MIT Technology Review highlight how these agents are the future of AI interaction.

What to expect from Perplexity next

With its new Agent Experiences team, Perplexity is positioned to integrate design and content generation directly into its answer engine. You might soon be able to ask Perplexity to create a full presentation or a report complete with custom visuals.

This move puts pressure on the entire AI market. Expect more consolidation as major players race to build the most capable AI agents. For businesses, this means the future is fewer tools that do more. Your success will depend on your ability to master these powerful new platforms.

The key takeaway is to build a flexible, workflow-focused strategy. Your AI process should be adaptable, with well-documented brand assets and a team skilled in advanced, project-based prompting. This prepares you for the inevitable changes ahead.