1. What Is Comet? Perplexity AI’s Comet browser
Comet is an AI-powered browser built by Perplexity AI and launched in early July 2025.
It’s based on Chromium, enabling support for Chrome extensions, bookmarks, and settings import.
Perplexity positions it not just as a browser, but a cognitive assistant: one that thinks with you and acts on your behalf rather than just showing pages.
2. Browsing Reimagined: From Navigation to Cognition
Unlike traditional browsers that rely on manual tab-jumping, Comet merges tasks and context into a single intelligent workspace. Your browsing becomes part of an ongoing conversation rather than isolated steps.
It reduces clutter and interruptions by understanding your activity, grouping related tabs, and acting on prompts like “summarize this article” or “compare prices” within the page you're viewing.
3. Comet Assistant (AI Sidebar & Interaction)
The Comet Assistant lives in a sidebar and can see and understand any webpage you're on. You can ask it questions, make it summarize content, analyze YouTube videos, draft emails, and more—all without switching apps or tabs.
It supports multi-agent parallelism—multiple mini-agents can run at once for tasks like researching travel deals or compiling product spreadsheets all from one command.
Voice mode is built in, so you can navigate, ask questions, or command it hands‑free.
4. Agentic Automation: From Intent to Action
Comet features agentic search: you can tell it to act on a task, like “book a table in Tokyo” or “send follow-ups,” and it will navigate sites, fill forms, and complete multi-step tasks on your behalf.
It integrates with services like Gmail, Calendar, LinkedIn, Slack, and Google Sheets to automate workflows: plan meetings, send emails, manage content, or gather data, all via natural language prompts.
Perplexity's CEO hopes Comet might replace routine white-collar roles such as recruiters and executive assistants by automating scheduling, candidate outreach, and administrative workflows.
5. Privacy & Security
Comet prioritizes a hybrid privacy architecture:
Local‑Only Mode: All browsing and AI interactions happen on your device, with no data sent externally.
Pseudonymous Cloud Mode: Non-sensitive context is anonymized before sending it.
Full‑Cloud Mode: Sends data to the server only when you allow it explicitly.
Nearly all user data—like history, tabs, cookies, settings, passwords, and crash logs—is stored locally by default, and you can delete it anytime or browse incognito to avoid storage entirely.
Comet includes a built-in ad blocker and strong tracking controls to reduce exposure to third-party tracking or intrusive content.
For automated tasks like booking or sending emails, Comet requests only minimal, scoped context relevant to that task; it doesn't scrape everything off your screen.
6. Performance & Speed
Users report that Comet feels faster than Chrome with quicker page loads and less lag—thanks to optimized resource allocation and streamlined AI integration.
Its hybrid architecture routes simple tasks to on-device models for speed, while complex reasoning (e.g., itinerary planning) goes to cloud LLMs like GPT-4 Turbo or Claude 4.0.
7. Supported Platforms & Access
Currently available in beta on Windows and Mac, with upcoming support for Linux, Android, and iOS planned.
It’s accessible only to Perplexity Max subscribers (≈ $200/month or €200/month) and via an invite-only waitlist over summer 2025.
Perplexity is discussing pre-installing Comet on devices from Apple, Samsung, and Motorola to scale user reach quickly.
8. Strategic Positioning & Challenges
Comet positions Perplexity to directly challenge dominant browsers like Chrome by embedding AI deeply in the browsing experience, rather than attaching extensions post‑hoc.
Perplexity is aware of content licensing and publisher concerns: news organizations like Dow Jones and News Corp have raised alarms over their content being used without compensation; Perplexity has launched a publisher partnership program in response.
Some user feedback indicates automation can be imperfect: complex tasks occasionally fail or hallucinate details like wrong dates or availability when booking.
9. Use Cases & Real-World Benefits
Everyday productivity: Summarize long articles, manage emails and schedules, automate social media posts, or compare products—all from a single conversational interface.
Enterprise adoption: Early deployments show workflow efficiency gains—legal firms cut prep time by 30%, marketing teams increased campaign output, and support teams improved response times via AI-assist automation.
User feedback is positive for general usage: speed, clarity, and intuitive automation boost productivity—but remain cautious with high-stakes tasks despite its promise.
✅ Summary
Comet is Perplexity’s AI-first browser built on Chromium, combining familiar browser tools with proactive AI.
The built-in Comet Assistant transforms browsing into a conversational, agentic experience—summarizing content, automating tasks, and thinking with you.
It values privacy through local data storage, scoped cloud access, and strong tracking controls.
Currently available only to high-tier subscribers, with broader access and mobile rollout expected in coming months.
Comet aims to challenge Chrome by redefining browsing and productivity with built-in AI at the core.
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