Perplexity launches Comet browser for public download

Perplexity has released its Comet browser to the public, making it freely available for download after a waitlist model that attracted millions of users.

The browser, which has been in limited release since July, has seen substantial demand, with the waitlist growing faster than Perplexity has been able to distribute access. The company reported that early users are utilising Comet in a variety of ways, exceeding initial expectations and driving a significant increase in engagement and usage.

The central feature of Comet is the Comet Assistant, an AI helper designed to browse the internet alongside users. It can assist with a variety of tasks such as research, scheduling, coding, and shopping, aiming to provide timely answers and support without disrupting the user's workflow. Each new browser tab features a fresh Comet Assistant instance, available to answer queries and perform actions as required.

In recent weeks, Perplexity introduced the Email Assistant feature, which operates via email by being copied on threads or asked to undertake actions directly from the inbox. This function is currently limited to Max Subscribers, providing services such as scheduling, drafting replies, and executing other administrative tasks based on email conversations.

Perplexity is also developing a suite of Background Assistants, designed to handle multiple tasks for users simultaneously and in the background. This infrastructure aims to increase productivity by delegating repetitive or time-consuming chores to AI, enabling users to focus on priority issues.

Plans are underway to expand Comet's availability beyond desktop platforms. A mobile version is forthcoming, with Perplexity indicating it is designing features specifically for handheld devices, such as voice interaction technology, to make communication with AI assistants more accessible and efficient. The goal is to provide a mobile experience that reduces distractions from advertising and traditional mobile interfaces.

Comet also includes the Comet Plus programme, an initiative designed to enhance the quality of online content. Through partnerships with various publishers, Perplexity intends to promote authentic journalism and authoritative information within its ecosystem. News publishers CNN, Condé Nast, Le Monde, and The Washington Post are among those that have signed on to the initiative.

Perplexity has positioned the browser as a tool to encourage curiosity and more active exploration of online information, in contrast to what it describes as a decline in the internet's ability to foster genuine inquiry due to advertising and content models that prioritise consumer pathways over knowledge sharing.

Initial user data from the limited release phase indicated that downloaders of Comet increased the number of questions they asked online by as much as six to eighteen times in the first day of use. The organisation cited this metric as evidence that Comet is tapping into a widespread desire for deeper online engagement and discovery.