Meet Comet: Perplexity's Bold New Take On Web Browsing

Perplexity, an AI-powered search engine, has entered the web browser game with a new product called Comet. The project was announced on X, with the company sharing a signup list for early access. But it has not spelt out what the browser will look like or when it will be ready.

Perplexity spokesman told TechCrunch that the company wants to 'reinvent the browser' just as it did with search. But it doesn't give any specifics and merely hints at something unique Perplexity is working on.

There are already many competitors in the web browser market. Besides major players, such as Google Chrome there are several third-party browsers, with many providing AI-powered features. For example, The Browser Company is set to launch the Dia browser next week, a browser that will pit its technology against Perplexity’s.

Perplexity is growing quickly and expanding its product lineup. Recently, it has introduced deep research tools to compete with OpenAI, Google, and xAI. It launched an AI assistant for Android and an AI search API in January.

Founded in 2022, Perplexity has raised over $500 million from investors, reportedly worth $9 billion. That company’s search engine gets 100 million queries a week and it has been ramping up monetization, including an advertising program.

On ads, speaking during an interaction, CEO Aravind Srinivas said, "I believe advertising will be a key revenue stream for AI, much like it has been for newspapers, radio, TV, and even games. However, AI ads won't be intrusive; instead, they will be personalized based on a deep understanding of the user, making them useful."

What it means for users

For users, rising competition in the web browser space is good news simply because it drives innovation, leading to, among other things, faster browsing speeds, enhanced security features, improved user interfaces. The reason behind this is that the rivalry pushes companies to constantly improve, ensuring users get the best possible online experience.