We’re currently witnessing a phase in the AI era where the main players aren’t just rolling out more advanced large language models regularly. They’re also building the foundation for the next stage, a smarter AI chatbot embedded in our gadgets, acting as a super assistant that understands our needs and delivers the information we want.
This AI experience could involve pulling data from personal communications, buying gifts in time for Christmas, or planning a quick getaway. Add in the work-related tasks the AI will take care of, and you get a sense of where AI computing is headed.
To get there, we’ll need AI operating systems. These are mobile OSes with AI baked in, allowing it to interact with and control every app.
Before we get to AI operating systems, we need AI-infused browsers with built-in AI chatbots, not just access to tools like Gemini or ChatGPT. That might seem like a small distinction, but it’s a big deal.
It turns out some of the major players in AI are either developing their own AI browsers or launching one. OpenAI falls into the first group. It’s working on an AI browser with ChatGPT at its core. Perplexity is in the second. Comet is its new AI browser, built on the same tech behind Google Chrome.
As a longtime ChatGPT user, I’m genuinely excited about AI browsers. But I’m pretty sure I won’t be using Comet anytime soon, and it’s not about the price.
How much does Perplexity Comet cost?
Perplexity is one of the better-known names in tech. It’s an AI-powered alternative to Google Search that offers quick answers to your questions. You can access it via its website or the mobile app.
Using Perplexity in Chrome isn’t the same as using Comet. Comet has Perplexity AI built in, so it can immediately respond to what you’re doing online.
Right now, I use ChatGPT a lot while browsing the web. It’s part of how I navigate online. But the AI can’t see what I’m doing. I have to switch tabs or open the ChatGPT app to ask questions. I have to copy, paste, and upload things manually.
Comet solves that, as shown in the video above. With a built-in chatbot, the AI is always ready and aware of what’s on your screen. You can just ask questions without switching tabs or apps.
Comet can also take actions for you, as CEO Aravind Srinivas explained on X:
Comet transforms entire browsing sessions into single, seamless interactions, collapsing complex workflows into fluid conversations.
Ask Comet to book a meeting or send an email, based on something you saw. Ask Comet to buy something you forgot. Ask Comet to brief you for your day.
That’s impressive. I want that kind of convenience. I want an AI ready to answer my questions instantly while I browse.
Comet is now available to Perplexity Max users, which means paying $200/month to access it. It’ll eventually roll out more broadly. I’m not going to pay that price for an AI-powered browser, but it’s not just about the cost.
The giant privacy red flag
Go to the Comet website, scroll past the “Browse at the speed of thought” tagline and the mission statement, and you’ll see Perplexity’s three values for Comet:
Personal: Comet learns how you think, collaborates in your research, and keeps your digital life organized—so you’re never lost in tabs or forget what inspired you.
Powerful: Comet makes Perplexity available on every site you visit. Quickly understand anything you see, in any language, or from any perspective. Ask the assistant to summarize, shop, schedule, or send. The more you use it, the more indispensable it becomes.
Productive: Stay focused and keep your flow without switching tasks or tabs. Save hours every week by analyzing your inbox, preparing for meetings, automating notes, and more. Wherever your curiosity leads, Comet takes you further, faster.
But there’s nothing here about privacy. This Chromium-based browser supports the same extensions as Google Chrome. And like Chrome, it probably wants to track everything. How do I know? Because Srinivas said so months ago, and I can’t forget it until Perplexity rolls out solid privacy policies for both Perplexity and Comet users.
Here’s what Srinivas said back in April about tracking users with Perplexity AI products to serve super personalized ads, via TechCrunch:
That’s kind of one of the other reasons we wanted to build a browser, is we want to get data even outside the app to better understand you. Because some of the prompts that people do in these AIs is purely work-related. It’s not like that’s personal. […]
On the other hand, what are the things you’re buying; which hotels are you going [to]; which restaurants are you going to; what are you spending time browsing, tells us so much more about you. […]
We plan to use all the context to build a better user profile and, maybe you know, through our discover feed we could show some ads there.
That’s the same playbook Google and Meta have used for years. At least they try to offer strong privacy, or make it look like they care.
I don’t want AI browsers to go down that road. Will OpenAI do the same? I wouldn’t be shocked. Owning a browser gives you access to a huge revenue stream. But ads can exist without being hyper-personalized. I’m not going to use any kind of personal AI assistant if I have to worry about my data being mined with more sophisticated tools than ever just to sell me stuff.
