AI-Powered Comet: Perplexitys Ambitious Bid to Replace Chrome on Mobile Devices

The Nvidia-backed startup Perplexity is in talks with mobile device manufacturers about pre-installing its new Comet browser on smartphones. This announcement was made by CEO Aravind Srinivasan in an interview with Reuters.

This initiative could significantly increase the reach of the AI-powered search engine, as users typically utilize the browsers that come pre-installed by default. However, persuading mobile device developers has proven to be a challenge, Srinivasan noted.

Following the stabilization of the desktop version of Comet, which is aimed at several hundred thousand users, Perplexity plans to target an audience in the «tens or hundreds of millions» next year.

In July, the company launched its own web browser, Comet, which features an integrated AI search system that summarizes search results.

The application allows users to ask questions related to personal data and complete tasks such as scheduling meetings and summarizing webpage content.

Simultaneously, OpenAI is expected to introduce its own AI-driven web browser in the coming weeks. Instead of the traditional website navigation, some actions will be performed directly within an interface similar to ChatGPT.

The startup’s initiatives reflect a broader trend in the industry towards creating web browsers with agent-like AI capabilities that can handle routine tasks for users, such as booking hotels or purchasing flight tickets.

According to Statcounter, last month Chrome accounted for about 70% of mobile traffic, while Apple’s Safari and Samsung’s browser made up an additional 24%.

It’s worth noting that in April, the number of search queries in Safari dropped for the first time. This decline is attributed to the rising popularity of AI-based chatbots, as people increasingly turn to them for assistance instead of conducting traditional internet searches.