Perplexity has launched an online browser, Comet, providing customers a have a look at how the corporate is evolving past AI search.
Whereas Comet shares acquainted traits with Chrome, it introduces a unique interface mannequin. One the place customers can search, navigate, and run agent-like duties from a single AI-powered setting.
A Browser Designed for AI-Native Workflows
Comet is constructed on Chromium and helps commonplace browser options like tabs, extensions, and bookmarks.
What units it aside is the inclusion of a sidebar assistant that may summarize pages, automate duties, schedule conferences, and fill out varieties.
You possibly can see it in motion within the launch video beneath:
In an interview, Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas described Comet as a step towards combining search and automation right into a single system.
Srinivas stated:
“We give it some thought as an assistant reasonably than a whole autonomous agent however one omni field the place you possibly can navigate, you possibly can ask formational queries and you may give agentic duties and your AI with you in your new tab web page, in your facet automobile, as an assistant on any internet web page you might be, makes the browser really feel like extra like a cognitive working system reasonably than simply yet one more browser.”
Perplexity sees Comet as a basis for agentic computing. Future use circumstances may contain real-time analysis, recurring job administration, and private information integration.
Technique Behind the Shift
Srinivas stated Comet isn’t only a product launch, it’s a long-term wager on browsers as the following main interface for AI.
He described the transfer as a response to rising person demand for AI instruments that do greater than reply to queries in chat home windows.
Srinivas stated:
“The browser is far more durable to repeat than yet one more chat instrument.”
He acknowledged that OpenAI and Anthropic are more likely to launch comparable instruments, however believes the technical challenges of constructing and sustaining a browser create an extended runway for Perplexity to distinguish.
A Totally different Strategy From Google
Srinivas additionally commented on the aggressive panorama, together with how Perplexity’s technique differs from Google’s.
He pointed to the stress between AI-driven solutions and ad-based monetization as a limiting issue for conventional search engines like google.
Referring to go looking outcomes the place advertisers compete for placement, Srinivas stated:
“Should you get direct solutions to those questions with reserving hyperlinks proper there, how are you going to mint cash from Reserving and Expedia and Kayak… It’s not of their incentive to provide you good solutions in any respect.”
He additionally stated Google’s rollout of AI options has been slower than anticipated:
“The identical function is being launched yr after yr after yr with a unique title, with a unique VP, with a unique group of individuals, nevertheless it’s the identical factor besides perhaps it’s getting higher nevertheless it’s by no means getting launched to all people.”
Accuracy, Velocity, and UX as Priorities
Perplexity is positioning Comet round three core rules: accuracy, low latency, and clear presentation.
Srinivas stated the corporate continues to spend money on lowering hallucinations and dashing up responses whereas conserving person expertise on the heart.
Srinivas added:
“Let there exist 100 chat bots however we’re essentially the most centered on getting as many solutions proper as potential.”
Internally, the crew depends on AI improvement instruments like Cursor and GitHub Copilot to speed up iteration and testing.
Srinivas famous:
“We made it necessary to make use of a minimum of one AI coding instrument and internally at Perplexity it occurs to be Cursor and like a mixture of Cursor and GitHub Copilot.”
Srinivas stated the browser supplies the construction wanted to help extra advanced workflows than a standalone chat interface.
What Comes Subsequent
Comet is presently accessible to customers on Perplexity’s Max plan by way of early entry invitations. A broader launch is anticipated, together with plans for cell help sooner or later.
Srinivas stated the corporate is exploring enterprise fashions past promoting, together with subscriptions, usage-based pricing, and affiliate transactions.
“All I do know is subscriptions and utilization primarily based pricing are going to be a factor. Transactions… taking a reduce out of the transactions is nice.”
Whereas he doesn’t anticipate to match Google’s margins, he sees room for a viable different.
“Google’s enterprise mannequin is probably the perfect enterprise mannequin ever… Possibly it was so good that you simply wanted AI to kill it mainly.”
Trying Forward
Comet’s launch marks a shift in how AI instruments are being built-in into person workflows.
Reasonably than including assistant options into present merchandise, Perplexity is constructing a brand new interface from the bottom up, designed round pace, reasoning, and job execution.
As the corporate continues to construct round this mannequin, Comet might function a take a look at case for a way customers have interaction with AI past conventional search.
Featured Picture: Ascannio/Shutterstock
