Perplexity's Comet and the coming age of AI browsers

Artificial intelligence (AI) company Perplexity has launched what it claims is the world’s first “AI browser”, setting the stage for a new competitive battleground that could fundamentally reshape how users interact with the web.

- Vishal Mathur

The company's Comet browser, currently available to subscribers of its $200-per-month Perplexity Max plan on Windows and Mac devices, represents what chief executive Aravind Srinivas describes as a platform “designed to be a thought partner and assistant”.

The launch comes as industry speculation mounts that OpenAI may be preparing its own AI browser launch within weeks, potentially escalating competition in a market that has been dominated by Google's Chrome, Microsoft's Edge, and Apple's Safari for years.

Unlike conventional browsers enhanced with AI add-ons, Comet integrates AI capabilities directly into core browsing functions. The browser uses Perplexity's proprietary search engine and large language model, accessible through a sidebar that can answer questions about any webpage content.

HT has not used the Comet browser yet, and therefore it is difficult to judge the balance of potential versus promise.

But early users indicate the software has potential. “The most interesting thing about Perplexity Comet is that it can actually do things in Cal and Gmail. Example, I asked it to reschedule a 1:1 - it moved the invite and sent an email. Neither Google nor OpenAI have done this in their agents...maybe for safety reasons, but it's limiting,” said Olivia Moore, a partner at venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz.