Unlike AI tools added to existing browsers, Comet is built from the ground up to work with an integrated assistant that 'accompanies you on the web'. This assistant is designed to help users handle everyday digital tasks such as shopping, travel planning, and daily task management – potentially replacing manual web browsing with AI-powered actions.
What is the Comet browser by Perplexity?
Comet is an AI-powered web browser developed by Perplexity, directly integrating conversational AI into the browsing experience. At its core is Comet Assistant, an integrated agent that can interact with web content, tabs, emails, and calendars. Instead of just helping you search, it can perform actions on your behalf, navigate websites, summarize content, and manage digital tasks much like a human assistant.
What sets Comet apart is its focus on what Perplexity calls 'agentic browsing'. This concept redefines how users interact with the web: Instead of clicking and manually navigating, users can ask an assistant to perform tasks on the web, essentially letting it 'control' the browser. This model is primarily aimed at early adopters and savvy users already familiar with AI tools like Perplexity and ChatGPT .
Perplexity is also expanding the browser's capabilities through Comet Plus, a premium content package included in Pro and Max subscriptions (or available for $5/month). This package gives users access to news from major news organizations such as CNN, Fortune, and The Washington Post, similar to services like Apple News Plus.
In a broader context, Comet is just one of many AI-integrated browsers competing for dominance. While Chrome currently has Gemini, and other browsers like Arc and Opera Neon are exploring their own AI integrations, Comet differentiates itself by making AI a core experience – not just an add-on.
Key features of the Comet browser
1. Integrate Comet Assistant
The core of the Comet browser is its built-in assistant, which provides AI-powered search and navigation capabilities. Unlike traditional AI tools that only return information, Comet Assistant can interact with open tabs, filter searches based on your current browsing context, and even perform actions on web content, click links, open new tabs, and execute multi-step tasks.
2. Automatic web browsing capability
Comet introduces an automated web browsing experience. Users can issue high-level commands such as 'book a flight' or 'find a summary of this video', and the assistant will take the necessary steps, access websites, extract information, and perform various actions without the user having to manually click through each step.
3. Voice assistant
The browser supports a voice-based interface, allowing users to speak directly with the assistant. You can ask questions about the current page, request actions on open tabs, or perform internet searches, all through natural conversation. This creates a smoother and more hands-free experience, especially when researching or multitasking.
4. Integrate email and calendar
Comet connects with Gmail and Google Calendar, requesting read/write access, allowing it to answer questions about your schedule or recent emails. This integration enables the assistant to perform contextual tasks such as scheduling meetings or searching for hidden information in your inbox.
The Comet browser stands out thanks to its advanced AI assistant and customizable shortcuts, making it a potential tool for professional users. However, the assistant features are unstable and performance isn't well-optimized, preventing it from becoming a widespread replacement for Chrome today. At the moment, it's best viewed as a forward-looking experimental tool – promising, but not essential unless you want to explore the future of AI-powered browsers.