Perplexity AI launches free Comet browser globally
Perplexity AI's Comet browser, previously a paid feature, is now free worldwide amid competition from Google and OpenAI
Aravind Srinivas, chief executive officer Perplexity AI, during a news conference at the SK Telecom Co. headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, on Wednesday, Sept.4, 2024. (SeongJoon Cho | Bloomberg | Getty Images)
Perplexity AI has announced the global rollout of its AI-powered Comet browser as a free service, marking a significant shift from its initial $200/month subscription model launched in July.
Key Features:
- Acts as a personal assistant for web searching, tab organization, email drafting, and shopping
- Waitlist grew to "millions" during paid beta phase
- Designed to compete with rivals like Google's Gemini, Anthropic's browser agent, and OpenAI's Operator
Strategic Moves:
- Perplexity previously made an unsolicited $34.5 billion bid for Google's Chrome browser
- Company introduced Comet Plus subscription in August featuring content from premium publishers
- Partnerships established with CNN, Condé Nast, The Washington Post, and other major media outlets
Future Developments:
- Mobile version of Comet in development
- New Background Assistant feature teased for multitasking capabilities
Context:
The move comes amid growing competition in AI-powered browsing:
- Google integrated Gemini into Chrome (read more)
- Anthropic launched browser-based AI agent
- OpenAI released Operator task-completion agent
Perplexity, valued at $20B (watch coverage), gained fame for its AI search engine but faced plagiarism accusations last year, leading to publisher revenue-sharing agreements.
For real-time coverage: Tune in Friday at 8:10 a.m. ET as CEO Aravind Srinivas discusses the launch on CNBC (watch live).
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Alex Thompson
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Senior technology editor specializing in AI and machine learning content creation for 8 years. Former technical editor at AI Magazine, now provides technical documentation and content strategy services for multiple AI companies. Excels at transforming complex AI technical concepts into accessible content.