Perplexity’s Comet Browser

Perplexity has launched its first AI-powered web browser, called Comet, marking the startup’s latest effort to challenge Google Search. At launch, Comet will be available first to subscribers of Perplexity’s Max plan, as well as a small group of invitees that signed up to a waitlist.

Comet’s headline feature is Perplexity’s AI search engine, which is pre-installed and set as the default, putting the company’s core product — AI-generated summaries of search results — front and center. Users can also access Comet Assistant, a new AI agent from Perplexity that lives in the web browser and aims to automate routine tasks.

Perplexity says the assistant can summarize emails and calendar events, manage tabs, and navigate webpages on behalf of users. Users can access Comet Assistant by opening a sidecar on any webpage, which lets the AI agent see what’s on the webpage and answer questions about it.

Comet Assistant’s Capabilities

Comet Assistant can open new tabs for users, summarize emails, and even navigate webpages. However, the assistant’s capabilities are limited, and it can struggle with more complex tasks. During testing, Comet Assistant was found to be surprisingly helpful for simple tasks but quickly fell apart when given more complex requests.

Using Comet Assistant to its fullest potential also requires users to hand over an uncomfortable level of access to Perplexity. The assistant can automatically see what users are looking at, allowing them to ask questions without needing to open a new window or copy and paste text or links.

Competition in the Browser Market

Comet is entering a crowded arena, with Google Chrome and Apple’s Safari holding most of the market. The Browser Company launched an AI-powered browser, Dia, in June, which seems to offer many of the same features as Comet. OpenAI has also reportedly considered launching its own browser to compete with Google.