Introducing Comet: Perplexity's Ambitious New Browser

Perplexity has unveiled its answer to Google Chrome—welcome Comet! This innovative AI-powered browser is designed to redefine your online experience, currently available to Perplexity Max subscribers and those on an early access waitlist. Comet promises to transform web browsing by weaving AI into nearly every action you take.

A Revolutionary Search Experience

Say goodbye to traditional search results! Comet replaces the familiar Google Search with its unique Perplexity AI answer engine. Just type your query in the address bar, and Comet delivers relevant links before summarizing the information you need. While its streamlined search results might be helpful, you might miss the extensive options Google typically offers.

Your Personal AI Assistant Awaits

Comet comes packed with a built-in AI assistant, reminiscent of Google’s experimental Gemini integration. With a click of a button in the top-right corner, you access a chat interface where you can type questions or use voice commands to engage in conversations about any topic—or even inquire about the current webpage.

Unleash the Full Potential of AI

This assistant is no slouch; it can summarize articles, describe images, condense YouTube videos, and more. It even scans your open tabs to provide quick summaries and compare products across those pages.

Get Things Done—With Caution!

What sets Comet apart is its ability to perform tasks for you. After connecting my Google account, I watched in awe as it swiftly drafted emails summarizing crucial information like this year’s hurricane forecast, closed inactive tabs, and even posted updates on my social media—all while I could've done them faster myself!

Efficiency or Overhyped? You Decide!

Despite its speed, I couldn't help but notice that completing certain actions—like unsubscribing from promotional emails—was significantly quicker for me. Comet took a leisurely two minutes for tasks I could finish in under 30 seconds. However, it shines as a tool for accessibility, handling background tasks while you focus on other activities.

Maximize Control with Special Prompts

Ready to unlock even more capabilities? Start your prompts with "take control of my browser." With this simple phrase, Comet surpasses basic instructions and can tackle advanced tasks like making reservations or completing purchases.

From Summary to Shopping in Seconds!

For example, after asking Comet to summarize comments on a Verge article, it not only opened the section but also provided an analysis of user sentiments—revealing overwhelming negativity around a controversial AI topic.

Seamless Shopping Experience—With a Catch

I pushed Comet further, asking it to add items to my Amazon cart and check out. The process was seamless until I realized it didn’t prompt for my email or phone number during a restaurant reservation. While I could easily fix it afterward, it highlighted the occasional shortcomings of Comet.

AI Limitations Realized

Perplexity acknowledges that complex tasks like shopping can still trip up AI tools. The current AI landscape may cause these hiccups, but they’re confident future iterations of Comet will improve.

The Future of Browsing?

Despite its growing pains, Comet boasts far more functionality than Google’s Gemini integration, positioning itself as a serious competitor to Google. Perplexity’s ambition is clear: they aim to dethrone Google’s long-standing dominance in the browser market, and Comet is just the beginning of that journey.