AI search engine Perplexity is making waves again. The company has announced its plans to launch a web browser called Comet, in an already competitive market. While details are scarce, the announcement, made via X, has sparked curiosity.
Perplexity has opened a sign-up list for users eager to test the new browser, though there’s no official release date yet. What will set Comet apart from Chrome, Edge, or even alternatives like Dia? That remains to be seen.
“We reinvented search. Now, we’re reinventing the browser,” a Perplexity spokesperson said. That statement suggests something ambitious, perhaps a browsing experience deeply integrated with AI search.
A Crowded Field with Fierce Competition
The browser market is notoriously tough. Google Chrome dominates, holding over 60% of global market share. Meanwhile, alternatives like Mozilla Firefox, Apple’s Safari, Microsoft Edge, and privacy-focused options like Brave all compete. More recently, companies have started integrating AI-powered features, with Opera adding AI chatbots and The Browser Company’s Dia promising an AI-first approach.
Perplexity’s challenge? Carving out a niche in an already saturated market.
One possible advantage could be leveraging its growing search engine audience. The company’s AI search has been gaining traction. It processes over 100 million queries each week. If it can integrate that search power directly into Comet, it might reach its goals
Perplexity’s Rapid Expansion: What’s Next?
Comet is just the latest in a string of big moves for Perplexity. The company has been expanding aggressively:
- February 2025: Launched a “deep research” feature to compete with OpenAI, Google, and xAI.
- January 2025: Released an AI Android assistant and an API for AI search.
- Valuation: Perplexity has reportedly raised over $500 million and is valued at $9 billion.
Clearly, the company isn’t just experimenting but executing a long-term vision. If Comet aligns with that vision, it could become a key player in the browser space.
Legal Battles
While Perplexity continues its ascension, not everything is smooth sailing. The company is facing lawsuits from major publishers. Dow Jones and the New York Post are claiming that Perplexity scrapes and replicates content without proper attribution.
Just last October, The New York Times sent Perplexity a cease-and-desist letter. The lawsuits could complicate its push for mainstream adoption, especially if publishers push back harder against AI-powered content aggregation.
Perplexity insists that it respects publisher content and has even introduced a revenue-sharing program for news outlets. However, the ongoing legal disputes could cast a shadow over its growth.
