Perplexity AI Unveils ‘Comet’—A Game-Changing AI-Powered Web Browser

Perplexity AI has announced its upcoming AI-powered web browser, Comet, and invited users to join a waitlist. The company aims to innovate browsing, similar to how it transformed search. Perplexity’s search engine handles over 100 million queries weekly, with plans to scale further. In December, the startup secured $500 million in funding, tripling its valuation to $9 billion. Key investors include SoftBank, Nvidia, and Jeff Bezos.

Perplexity AI Unveils ‘Comet’—A Game-Changing AI-Powered Web Browser

Perplexity AI, an artificial intelligence-powered search engine, has announced plans to launch its own web browser, named Comet. The company shared the news on X on February 24, inviting users to join a waitlist.

In a statement to TechCrunch, a Perplexity spokesperson hinted at a major innovation, saying, “Just like Perplexity reinvented search, we’re also reinventing the browser.” Further details are yet to be revealed.

Perplexity has seen rapid growth, with its search engine handling over 100 million queries weekly as of October. CEO Aravind Srinivas expressed ambitions to increase this figure to over 100 million queries daily.

The startup secured $500 million in funding in December, tripling its valuation to $9 billion. Investors included SoftBank, Nvidia, and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. Earlier in 2024, Perplexity was valued at $520 million before surging to $3 billion in the summer.

In November, the company introduced an AI-powered shopping assistant, Buy With Pro, for U.S. users. This feature allows Pro subscribers to research and purchase products directly within Perplexity’s platform, offering a streamlined shopping experience, including one-click checkout for those who save their payment details. Additionally, a visual search tool called Snap to Shop enables users to find products by uploading photos instead of entering product names or descriptions.

Despite the increasing popularity of AI-driven search alternatives like Perplexity, ChatGPT, and Claude, Google continues to hold its position as the dominant player in the search engine market. According to a recent Bank of America Global Research report, Google’s daily visits remained stable, growing by 1% in January to reach 2.7 billion, though they experienced a slight 1% decline compared to the previous year.

This resilience highlights Google’s stronghold in the search industry, despite emerging competition from AI-powered platforms that offer conversational and generative responses instead of traditional search results. Google’s continuous improvements in its search algorithms, integration of AI features like Gemini, and enhancements to user experience have helped it maintain engagement.

On the other hand, AI chatbots are rapidly gaining traction. ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI, recorded a significant 4% increase in visits in January alone, reaching 128 million. More impressively, its traffic surged by 148% year over year, reflecting a growing preference among users for AI-powered assistance.

While Google’s dominance remains intact, the rise of AI search models signals a potential shift in how users seek information. If AI-driven platforms continue to refine their capabilities, Google may face increased pressure to adapt and integrate more advanced AI-driven functionalities into its core search offerings.

AI-powered search engines like Perplexity and ChatGPT offer users a fundamentally different experience compared to traditional search engines. Rather than providing a list of links, these AI-driven models generate direct, conversational responses based on a vast amount of data, making information retrieval faster and more intuitive. This shift is particularly appealing for users looking for quick, summarized answers without sifting through multiple websites.

Google has recognized this trend and has begun integrating its own AI-powered tools, such as Gemini, into search results to enhance user experience. However, the competition is intensifying. Microsoft has incorporated OpenAI’s GPT models into Bing, while startups like Perplexity are rapidly expanding their AI-driven search ecosystems.

As AI search models continue to evolve, they could challenge Google’s advertising-based revenue model. Since AI-generated responses reduce the need for users to click on traditional search results, advertisers may need to rethink their strategies. In the long run, Google will likely have to strike a balance between maintaining ad revenue and keeping up with the growing demand for AI-powered search experiences.