Perplexity launches Comet, an AI-powered net browser

Perplexity on Wednesday launched its first AI-powered net browser, known as Comet, marking the startup’s newest effort to problem Google Search as the first avenue individuals use to seek out info on-line.

At launch, Comet shall be obtainable first to subscribers of Perplexity’s $200-per-month Max plan, in addition to a small group of invitees that signed as much as a waitlist.

Comet’s headline function is Perplexity’s AI search engine, which is pre-installed and set because the default, placing the corporate’s core product — AI generated summaries of search outcomes — entrance and heart.

Customers also can entry Comet Assistant, a brand new AI agent from Perplexity that lives within the net browser and goals to automate routine duties. Perplexity says the assistant can summarize emails and calendar occasions, handle tabs, and navigate net pages on behalf of customers. Customers can entry Comet Assistant by opening a sidecar on any net web page, which lets the AI agent see what’s on the internet web page and reply questions on it.

Perplexity has launched a number of merchandise and initiatives in latest months, however none really feel fairly as consequential as Comet. The corporate’s CEO, Aravind Srinivas, has considerably hyped Comet’s launch specifically, maybe as a result of he sees it as important in Perplexity’s battle in opposition to Google.

With Comet, Perplexity is aiming to succeed in customers instantly with out having to undergo Google Chrome, the most well-liked browser presently. Whereas AI-powered browsers current uncharted territory for a lot of customers, Google itself appears satisfied that is the path browsers are headed: The Search big has deployed a number of AI integrations into Chrome in latest months, to not point out AI mode, an AI search product with a hanging resemblance to Perplexity.

Srinivas stated in March that his aim with Comet was to “develop an working system with which you are able to do virtually all the pieces,” enabling Perplexity’s AI to assist customers throughout apps and web sites. Changing into the default browser for customers can translate to “infinite retention,” Srinivas stated in June, which might ostensibly result in extra requests on Perplexity.

That stated, Comet is getting into a crowded enviornment. Whereas Google Chrome and Apple’s Safari maintain many of the market, The Browser Firm launched an AI-powered browser, Dia, in June that appears to supply lots of the similar options as Comet. OpenAI has additionally reportedly thought of launching its personal browser to compete with Google, and has even employed some key members from the unique Google Chrome crew within the final yr.

Comet may get an preliminary leg up within the browser wars if a significant chunk of Perplexity customers join the product. Srinivas just lately stated that Perplexity noticed 780 million queries in Might 2025, and that the corporate’s search merchandise are seeing greater than 20% progress month-over-month.

Taking up Google Search is not any small job, however Perplexity appears to have the fitting concept by launching a browser of its personal. However the startup’s crew could discover it even more durable to persuade customers to modify browsers than weaning them off Google Search.

Fingers on with Comet

Probably the most distinctive facet of this browser appears to be Comet Assistant. Throughout our testing, we discovered Comet’s AI agent to be surprisingly useful for easy duties, nevertheless it shortly falls aside when given extra advanced requests. Utilizing Comet Assistant to its fullest potential additionally requires you at hand over an uncomfortable degree of entry to Perplexity.

My favourite manner to make use of Comet Assistant, thus far, is loading it within the sidecar whereas I’m searching the net. Perplexity’s on-browser AI agent can mechanically see what I’m taking a look at, so I can merely ask it questions while not having to open a brand new window or copy and paste textual content or hyperlinks. It’s proper there, and it at all times has the context for what I’m taking a look at.

Comet Assistant was capable of reply questions on posts on social media, YouTube movies, and even sentences I simply wrote in a Google Doc. I think about this may streamline workflows for hundreds of thousands of individuals which might be sending screenshots, information, and hyperlinks to ChatGPT all day.

Subsequent, I attempted getting Comet Assistant to look by way of my Google Calendar. However earlier than I may accomplish that, I needed to give Perplexity vital entry to my Google Account — lots of entry. Simply take a look at how lengthy this record is.

I’ve to say, giving Perplexity permission to view my display screen, ship emails, take a look at my contacts, and add occasions to my Calendar made me a little bit uneasy. However it appears AI brokers want this sort of entry to be helpful.

However, Comet Assistant did a fairly good job trying by way of my Calendar. It notified me about some upcoming occasions, and supplied me some recommendation on when to depart my house, and the right way to navigate public transit, to get to these occasions.

The assistant was additionally capable of summarize emails I acquired that morning from noteworthy senders — in my case, vital startups and tech firms with upcoming information. I’ve discovered that AI brokers have a really tough time parsing by way of what’s vital in an e mail inbox, however Comet Assistant fared fairly effectively.

However Comet Assistant fails at extra sophisticated duties. For instance, I attempted asking it to assist me discover a long-term parking spot at San Francisco’s airport for an upcoming journey, particularly locations with good opinions that value lower than $15 a day.

The assistant supplied up a number of choices that appeared to suit the factors, so I requested it to guide me a spot at one of many places for the dates I’d be away. The agent navigated the parking zone’s web site for me, entered in dates, and even a few of my info, then requested me to evaluation what it did and take a look at.

Seems, Comet Assistant hallucinated and entered fully mistaken dates, later telling me that the dates I wished had been booked, however nonetheless wished to have me full the check-out anyhow. I needed to inform the AI agent that the dates had been non-negotiable, and requested it to seek out one other location. It bumped into the identical downside once more.

AI brokers that mess up key particulars like this are usually not new. My expertise with OpenAI’s agent, Operator, and Perplexity’s earlier procuring agent yielded related outcomes. Clearly, hallucinations stand in the way in which of those merchandise changing into actual instruments. Till AI firms can resolve them, AI brokers will nonetheless be a novelty for advanced duties.

However, Comet does appear to supply some new capabilities that will simply give Perplexity a leg up over the competitors within the trendy browser wars.