Perplexity Officially Launches Its AI Browser Called Comet

Google Chrome has been the go-to browser for over a decade, helping Google dominate both search and online advertising. But as AI tools reshape how we interact with the internet, startups like Perplexity are taking bold steps to chip away at that dominance, starting with a browser of their own.

On Wednesday, Perplexity launched Comet, its first AI-powered browser. It’s built on Chromium, just like Chrome, but it puts AI front and center. Perplexity’s search engine, known for generating summarized answers, is the default, and the browser includes Comet Assistant, an AI agent that can summarize emails, manage tabs, check calendars, and even navigate websites for you.

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Rather than juggling a dozen tabs, users can ask Comet to handle tasks directly. It remembers past sessions, closes unused tabs, and suggests related content, all aimed at simplifying how people work and browse online.

At launch, though, access to Comet is limited. It’s only available to those on Perplexity’s $200/month Max plan or a small group of early invitees who joined the waitlist. That exclusivity is deliberate, helping Perplexity fine-tune the experience as it aims to draw in more loyal users. The company already reports over 15 million active users, according to Business of Apps, and CEO Aravind Srinivas believes a browser could unlock “infinite retention” by keeping users inside the Perplexity ecosystem.

But Perplexity isn’t alone in gunning for Chrome’s crown.

OpenAI is reportedly preparing its own AI browser, which could offer a native ChatGPT-like interface that keeps users inside a single conversation thread instead of bouncing across web pages. According to Reuters, the browser would be powered by AI agents that can book appointments or fill out forms, offering yet another way to rethink how we use the internet.

Chrome has been the world’s most popular browser for the past 12 years, holding between 60 to 70% marketshare over the years, but now it’s under pressure on multiple fronts. From AI challengers like Perplexity and OpenAI, and from the U.S. Department of Justice, which has called for a breakup of Google’s online dominance. It’s too early to say whether Chrome’s era is ending, but it’s clear that the AI browser wars have officially begun.

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