Nvidia-backed Perplexity takes on Google with a new AI-powered browser

Perplexity says Comet isn’t just another browser icon in your life. Instead, it’s built to replace traditional browsing entirely, with what it calls “agentic AI” that can think, act, and decide for you as you navigate the internet.

“Comet is a web browser built for today’s internet,” the company said in its announcement. “It lets the internet do what it’s been begging to do: amplify our intelligence.”

In practical terms, Comet integrates an AI assistant that can answer questions on any page, summarize articles instantly, compare products across sites, book meetings, send emails, or buy items you forgot to order — all in a single, conversational interface. Perplexity calls it a shift “from navigation to cognition” that turns browsing into an extension of your thinking process rather than a pile of open tabs.

The browser's launch comes as Perplexity seeks to challenge Google Chrome, which dominates with 68% of the global browser market, according to StatCounter. Competitors like Microsoft $MSFT Edge, Mozilla Firefox, and Apple $AAPL's Safari lag far behind. Reuters reported Wednesday that OpenAI is also launching an AI browser to compete with Google.

Comet is currently available to Perplexity Max subscribers, who pay $200 a month, with broader access rolling out via invites over the summer. The company says it will keep adding features, positioning Comet as a pillar of its strategy to grow AI search, advertising, and e-commerce revenue streams.

Perplexity says Comet stores data locally and doesn’t train its models on personal information, which should add to its appeal for users wary of big tech data collection.

The launch of Comet adds fuel to the AI browser wars, following OpenAI’s move to integrate search into ChatGPT and Google’s rollout of its AI Overviews feature last May.