The AI startup Perplexity launches its first own browser, Comet – a strategic move to directly challenge Google Search. Initially, Comet is available to subscribers of the $200-per-month Max plan and selected users on a waiting list.

The centerpiece of the new browser is Perplexity's own AI search engine, which is pre-installed by default. This positions the company's core product, AI-generated summaries of search results, consistently at the forefront. The goal is to reach users directly through its own browser in the future, rather than through Google Chrome.

In addition to the search function, Comet offers the new Comet Assistant – an AI agent designed to take over routine tasks directly in the browser. These include summarizing emails, managing tabs, or navigating through websites. Through a sidebar, the assistant can directly access the current page content and answer user questions in context.

Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas is pursuing a clear plan: Comet is to become the operating system for the web, which binds users in the long term. "Whoever becomes the standard browser wins virtually unlimited usage time," Srinivas explained recently.

However, with Comet, Perplexity enters a competitive market.

In practice, the Comet Assistant proved particularly useful for simple tasks, such as summarizing social media content or emails. For more complex tasks like travel bookings, however, the assistant still revealed weaknesses – a known problem with AI agents that competitors like OpenAI have also not solved.

Comet Delves Deep into User Data: The Assistant Requires Comprehensive Access to Calendars, Contacts, and Email Accounts for Full Functionality. Not Every User May Accept This Openness, but It Is Likely to Become Standard for AI Agents to Work Productively.

Google itself is driving similar developments in Chrome, such as with the new AI Mode. But Perplexity is taking a more radical path with Comet: its own browser as a platform for AI-supported web usage, independent of established ecosystems.