US search engine startup Perplexity AI, backed by Nvidia, announced on the 9th that they have launched a new web browser, Comet, featuring artificial intelligence (AI) search capabilities, aiming to challenge market leader Google’s Chrome.
According to media reports, this move marks Perplexity AI’s entry into the fiercely competitive browser market, with the goal to replace traditional web navigation through an assistant AI that can think, act, and make decisions on behalf of users.
According to research agency Statcounter, Google’s Chrome browser, under Alphabet, held a global market share of 68% in June this year, remaining the world’s most widely used browser, far ahead of competitors such as Safari, Microsoft Edge, and Firefox.
Comet allows users to ask questions, perform tasks, and search through a unified interface. The Comet browser integrates a built-in assistant, enabling users to compare products, summarize content, schedule meetings, and transform complex workflows into a simple conversational experience.
Currently, Comet is available only to Perplexity Max subscribers who pay $200 (850 ringgit) per month. During the summer, the browser will be rolled out more widely through an invitation system.
Backed by notable investors including Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, SoftBank, and Nvidia, Perplexity is using the launch of the Comet browser to directly challenge Google’s Chrome and Microsoft’s Edge, while also generating revenue through advertising and e-commerce.
Last year, OpenAI added search engine capabilities to its generative chatbot ChatGPT, and recently made them available to all users. In May last year, Google also launched its AI-powered search function, AI Overviews.
Comet stores data locally and avoids using personal information for model training, which could appeal to privacy-conscious users.
However, Perplexity has faced criticism from news organizations including Forbes (owned by News Corp), Wired, and Dow Jones (the parent company of The Wall Street Journal), accusing Perplexity AI of using their content without consent or compensation.
In response, Perplexity has launched a publisher partnership program to cooperate with news organizations.