Comet, an AI-powered net browser constructed to tackle Google Chrome, is now out there free, the AI search firm Perplexity mentioned in an announcement Thursday.
The browser was beforehand restricted to subscribers to Perplexity Max and Professional. Comet not requires a subscription.
In contrast to a conventional net browser, Comet has an AI assistant inbuilt. It may be known as at any level to reply questions concerning the web page being checked out and may use its agent to click on on the web page and achieve duties for the consumer. Perplexity mentioned Comet customers had been asking extra questions than they’d requested the corporate’s search software earlier than, with queries that did not resemble conventional on-line searches.
At a personal occasion in San Francisco, Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas additionally previewed Comet for cellular, displaying off its agentic capabilities, which may accomplish duties on behalf of the consumer. He additional detailed new forms of AI assistants, publishers collaborating in Comet Plus and a brand new analysis laboratory.
Comet’s worldwide launch comes as AI gamers make strikes within the net browser house. Beforehand, firms like OpenAI and Anthropic had launched extensions for Chrome, giving folks quicker entry to ChatGPT Search and Claude. However these had been additions to current browsers. Now, Perplexity is working to beat Google’s Chrome. Microsoft was additionally early on this race, releasing Copilot Mode in Edge this yr. Google just lately launched Gemini in Chrome for AI Professional subscribers, which additionally brings a lot of the identical performance of Comet to the world’s hottest net browser.
At present, Chrome dominates the online browser house with 72% international market share. Google’s dominance in Chrome permits the corporate to assemble precious consumer knowledge, which it then makes use of to beef up Google Search and higher promote placement to advertisers. Google’s dominance in Search was so huge {that a} federal court docket dominated the corporate to be working an unlawful monopoly. The Division of Justice wished Chrome to be offered off as a possible treatment, however a US District Choose selected different cures as a substitute.
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OpenAI is rumored to be launching its personal AI-powered net browser, probably integrating its highly effective Operator AI agent.
(Disclosure: Ziff Davis, CNET’s mum or dad firm, in April filed a lawsuit towards OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in coaching and working its AI programs.)