Perplexity AI’s Comet browser will streak across the web this month

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Web browser battles are getting an AI makeover, and Perplexity is sending a Comet to the fight. The AI-fueled web browser is set to launch this month, as first spotted by Testing Catalog.

Hints about the AI search engine developer’s plan for a browser have been seen here and there in recent weeks, including a a new homepage, separate from Perplexity’s main website, a Learn Comet button on some people’s Perplexity web interface, and even a briefly viewable promotional video that Perplexity soon took down.

Based on the drip of information, it looks like Perplexity is pitching Comet as a Google Chrome alternative that can aid in any research you need done online. Comet will apparently integrate with Google services, as well as access your history and follow along with your browsing to respond in context to your requests. So, you might ask Comet to “find that thing I was looking at about sea otters last Tuesday,” and it will dig up the article about how they hold hands to keep from losing each other. No more keyword-guessing or digging through all of your open tabs like an archaeologist of your own disorganized mind.

The eye on taking Chrome’s crown isn’t hyperbole, either. Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas has already boasted about how Comet will beat Chrome when it comes to reopening old tabs, declaring that “Chrome is on its way out.”

Comet AI

Perplexity is attempting to get ahead of the biggest obvious concern some might have about Comet, namely, privacy. The idea of a browser that reads what you’re looking at and remembers what you did last week might sound convenient to some, but like dystopian surveillance to others. Comet will have privacy settings, including native ad-blocking, and an opt-out for data sharing.

Meanwhile, the competition isn’t standing still. Microsoft is stuffing increasingly bold AI features into Edge, and of course, Google Chrome is expected to unveil many new AI integrations at Google I/O this year. Comet will need to make its AI assistance feel intuitive to stand out. If Comet’s AI can help you stay focused, organized, and smart about navigating the chaos of the internet, it could entice a lot of new users. If not, it risks being seen as more of an unhelpful Chrome extension.

Perplexity needs to get past people asking if they really need another browser, and promise to resolve your frustrations with your current one. If you’re tired of being bombarded with ads and manually digging through your history, Comet, when it comes, might offer a welcome change.

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Eric Hal Schwartz is a freelance writer for TechRadar with more than 15 years of experience covering the intersection of the world and technology. For the last five years, he served as head writer for Voicebot.ai and was on the leading edge of reporting on generative AI and large language models. He’s since become an expert on the products of generative AI models, such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Anthropic’s Claude, Google Gemini, and every other synthetic media tool. His experience runs the gamut of media, including print, digital, broadcast, and live events. Now, he’s continuing to tell the stories people want and need to hear about the rapidly evolving AI space and its impact on their lives. Eric is based in New York City.