Perplexity AI has made its artificial intelligence-powered web browser Comet available worldwide for free, expanding access beyond its previous $200-per-month subscription model for Perplexity Max users. The move positions Perplexity to compete more aggressively with tech giants like Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic in the rapidly evolving AI browser space, while potentially attracting millions of users who were previously on the waitlist.
What you should know: Comet functions as a comprehensive personal assistant that can handle multiple web-based tasks beyond traditional browsing.
- The browser can search the web, organize tabs, draft emails, shop online, and perform other productivity tasks using AI capabilities.
- Perplexity, an AI startup best known for its search engine, initially launched Comet in July exclusively for subscribers paying $200 monthly, building a waitlist of “millions” of people according to the company.
- The startup also offers Comet Plus, a subscription service providing access to content from “trusted publishers and journalists.”
The competitive landscape: Perplexity’s free release comes as major tech companies roll out their own AI browser solutions.
- Google integrated Gemini into its Chrome browser in September, while Anthropic announced a browser-based AI agent in August.
- OpenAI launched Operator in January, an agent that uses browsers to complete tasks for users.
- Perplexity made headlines in August with an unsolicited $34.5 billion bid for Google’s Chrome browser, signaling its aggressive expansion ambitions.
Publishing partnerships: The company has established revenue-sharing agreements with major media outlets following plagiarism accusations.
- Inaugural publishing partners include CNN, Condé Nast, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Fortune, Le Monde, and Le Figaro.
- This partnership model emerged after Perplexity faced criticism for allegedly plagiarizing content from media outlets in its AI-powered search results.
What’s coming next: Perplexity teased additional features to enhance Comet’s capabilities.
- A mobile version of Comet is in development to extend the browser’s reach across devices.
- Background Assistant will allow the browser to work on multiple tasks simultaneously and asynchronously, potentially increasing productivity for users.
Recent Stories
DOE fusion roadmap targets 2030s commercial deployment as AI drives $9B investment
The Department of Energy has released a new roadmap targeting commercial-scale fusion power deployment by the mid-2030s, though the plan lacks specific funding commitments and relies on scientific breakthroughs that have eluded researchers for decades. The strategy emphasizes public-private partnerships and positions AI as both a research tool and motivation for developing fusion energy to meet data centers' growing electricity demands. The big picture: The DOE's roadmap aims to "deliver the public infrastructure that supports the fusion private sector scale up in the 2030s," but acknowledges it cannot commit to specific funding levels and remains subject to Congressional appropriations. Why...
Oct 17, 2025Tying it all together: Credo’s purple cables power the $4B AI data center boom
Credo, a Silicon Valley semiconductor company specializing in data center cables and chips, has seen its stock price more than double this year to $143.61, following a 245% surge in 2024. The company's signature purple cables, which cost between $300-$500 each, have become essential infrastructure for AI data centers, positioning Credo to capitalize on the trillion-dollar AI infrastructure expansion as hyperscalers like Amazon, Microsoft, and Elon Musk's xAI rapidly build out massive computing facilities. What you should know: Credo's active electrical cables (AECs) are becoming indispensable for connecting the massive GPU clusters required for AI training and inference. The company...
Oct 17, 2025Vatican launches Latin American AI network for human development
The Vatican hosted a two-day conference bringing together 50 global experts to explore how artificial intelligence can advance peace, social justice, and human development. The event launched the Latin American AI Network for Integral Human Development and established principles for ethical AI governance that prioritize human dignity over technological advancement. What you should know: The Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, the Vatican's research body for social issues, organized the "Digital Rerum Novarum" conference on October 16-17, combining academic research with practical AI applications. Participants included leading experts from MIT, Microsoft, Columbia University, the UN, and major European institutions. The conference...