Perplexity AI rolls out Comet browser for free worldwide

Perplexity AI rolls out Comet browser for free worldwide


Aravind Srinivas, chief executive officer Perplexity AI, during a news conference at the SK Telecom Co. headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, on Wednesday, Sept.4, 2024.

SeongJoon Cho | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Perplexity AI on Thursday announced that its artificial-intelligence-powered web browser Comet is available worldwide, and will be free to users.

The Comet browser is designed to serve as a personal assistant that can search the web, organize tabs, draft emails, shop and more, according to Perplexity. The startup initially launched Comet in July to Perplexity Max subscribers for $200 a month, and the waitlist has ballooned to “millions” of people, the company said.

Tune in at 8:10 a.m. ET Friday as Perplexity co-founder and CEO Aravind Srinivas joins CNBC TV to discuss the release of its AI browser Comet to users for free. Watch in real time on CNBC+ or the CNBC Pro stream.

Perplexity’s decision to provide Comet for free could help it attract more users as it works to fend off rivals like Google, OpenAI and Anthropic that have their own AI browser offerings.

In September, Google rolled out Gemini in its Chrome browser, Anthropic announced a browser-based AI agent in August and OpenAI announced Operator, an agent that uses a browser to complete tasks, in January. Perplexity made an unsolicited $34.5 billion bid for Google’s Chrome browser in August.

Perplexity is best known for its AI-powered search engine that gives users simple answers to questions and links out to the original source material on the web. After the company was accused of plagiarizing content from media outlets, it launched a revenue-sharing model with publishers last year.

The company also introduced Comet Plus in August, which is a subscription that gives users access to content from “trusted publishers and journalists,” according to a blog post. Perplexity said Tuesday that CNN, Condé Nast, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Fortune, Le Monde, and Le Figaro are its inaugural publishing partners.

Perplexity said additional features are also on the way. The company teased a mobile version of Comet and a feature called Background Assistant, which can work on multiple tasks simultaneously and asynchronously.

WATCH: AI startup Perplexity valued at $20B

AI startup Perplexity valued at $20B



Source

Asia markets trade mixed after Wall Street gains as investors look past government shutdown
World

Asia markets trade mixed after Wall Street gains as investors look past government shutdown

Skyline of Tokyo, Japan. Jackyenjoyphotography | Moment | Getty Images Asia-Pacific markets opened mostly higher Friday, tracking Wall Street gains as investors shrugged off the U.S. government shutdown. Investors are waiting to see how long the shutdown will last to assess the gravity of its economic repercussions. Historically, government shutdowns in the U.S. have not […]

Read More
USA Rare Earth jumps 6% after CEO confirms discussions with Trump administration
World

USA Rare Earth jumps 6% after CEO confirms discussions with Trump administration

Shares of USA Rare Earth jumped in extended trading Thursday, after CEO Barbara Humpton told CNBC that the rare earth miner is “in close communcation” with the White House. Humpton’s comment comes after the Trump administration took a 5% equity stake in Lithium Americas this week. The Defense Department took a 15% stake in rare […]

Read More
Stock futures are little changed as AI trade drives market to fresh highs, shutdown grinds on: Live updates
World

Stock futures are little changed as AI trade drives market to fresh highs, shutdown grinds on: Live updates

Traders work at the New York Stock Exchange on Oct. 1, 2025. NYSE Stock futures were little changed after the market recorded new highs on Thursday, driven by strength in the artificial intelligence trade that appeared to overpower concerns about the 2-day-old U.S. government shutdown. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 11 […]

Read More