October 31, 2025 • 11 mins
Perplexity AI's Comet browser redefines web browsing by integrating advanced AI capabilities, allowing users to search and summarize content seamlessly. With its Chromium foundation, it offers a familiar interface alongside powerful AI tools, poised to transform how we consume and interact with information online...
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Welcome to the deep dive. Today, we're looking
at something that honestly feels like a real
shake up in how we use the Internet.
We're sort of moving beyond just, you know,
typing things into a search bar.
Our sources today are all focused on Comet,
this new browser from Perplexity
AI,
And our mission really is to understand how
this thing, this intelligent browser, is aiming to
(00:20):
completely rewrite what a browser does for you.
Exactly. That's the core idea, isn't it? Comet
isn't just another piece of software hitting the
market. It feels more like a a statement.
It's pushing for a fundamental change, taking browsing
from just passively finding links to well, actively
thinking, organizing, even doing things for you. Yeah.
It really wants to be this AI partner.
(00:41):
Okay. And just the basics for everyone listening,
Comet is AI powered. It's built on Chromium,
so that familiar base is there. And it
launched globally back in July 2024, and it's
free. Alright. Let's unpack this. Why does Perplexity
think this approach, this architecture, is the future
for how we live online?
So the first big term we keep seeing
is AI first. That sounds a bit like
(01:02):
marketing, but is there real substance there? Oh,
absolutely. It's not just jargon. It points to
how it was built fundamentally. Yeah. Think about
it. Most browsers we use today, their core
design is maybe twenty years old.
AI features got, well, bolted on much later.
Comet was designed from the ground up with
AI as its core operating system. Mhmm. So
the whole application is meant to understand context,
(01:24):
understand what you're trying to do, not just
the text in a search box. Right. So
if the foundation is different, what does that
actually feel like for someone using it? How
is it more than just, say, Chrome or
Firefox?
Well, it stops being just a tool for
fetching web pages and becomes more of a
a knowledge creator. A standard browser just shows
you the page. An AI first browser like
Comet, though, it synthesizes information that can help
(01:47):
draft things, compare products for you, manage tasks
that take multiple steps. So instead of you
clicking through endless tabs, the browser is designed
to kinda work with you on the information
itself. That idea, moving from a passive tool
to an active collaborator,
that's all about
reducing the mental effort. Right? Taking stuff off
your plate.
And if the goal is making the browser
(02:08):
feel like part of your your thinking
process, then efficiency has to be key. Yeah.
This is where things get really interesting, especially
if you're focused on getting more done. Yeah.
This is where Comet really leans into being
a personal web agent.
The automation features described in the sources,
they go way beyond just filling in your
address. We're talking about handling complex sequences of
(02:29):
tasks autonomously.
Okay. Give us some specifics. What can this
agent actually do? Well, let's start with something
common, like shopping online.
Here. For ecommerce, it can apparently compare products
across, you know, loads of different retailers. It
can read and synthesize customer reviews from multiple
sites, not just give you a summary, but
really pull the key insights together. And then
if you okay it, it can actually complete
(02:51):
the entire checkout process for you. You. Just
think about the time saved, not manually juggling
15 tabs for price checking and review hunting.
Wow.
That's
that's incredibly powerful. But it does raise a
pretty deep question, doesn't it? If the browser
is summarize reviews and picking the best option
based on its analysis,
aren't you kind of
delegating your own judgment, maybe even trust
(03:14):
to the AI? That's exactly the strategic point
here. You are outsourcing that,
that detailed diligence work. The user has to
trust that the AI's synthesis is accurate and
hopefully unbiased.
Comet's long term success
really hangs on forgetting, proving it can handle
those complex comparisons reliably. It's not just managing
(03:34):
workflows, it's managing delegation. And delegation comes up
with communication too. Right? That's another huge time
drain for so many of us. Absolutely. The
agent can help manage emails both coming in
and going out. It's designed to draft replies
that actually fit the context.
Understanding the email thread's history, adjusting tone, and
beyond that, it can create these daily briefing
summaries of your commitments, pulling info automatically from
(03:56):
different calendars or project tools you might use.
Okay. So the key to making all of
this work smoothly, especially when you've got lots
of different things open,
It must be understanding the context. Like, I
often have, I don't know, 10 tabs open,
all related to one project, but not explicitly
linked. How does Comet manage that? What's fascinating
here and pretty innovative is this feature they
(04:18):
call at tab.
This seems to be the mechanism for keeping
track of your whole session. Say you have
five tabs open, maybe three research articles,
a draft you're writing, and an email. You
can ask the AI assistant a question, and
it's designed to pull relevant info and see
connections across all those tabs no matter which
one you're currently looking at. It basically maintains
(04:38):
awareness of your entire active workspace. Okay. Moving
past the wow features for a second.
Users always have
practical worries when thinking about switching browsers. Things
like, you know, security, speed, and just the
hassle of moving everything over. Right. And Comet
seems designed to tackle those concerns head on,
starting with trust and privacy. Yeah. Data privacy
is huge,
especially if an AI is handling checkouts or
(05:00):
drafting emails. How does Comet protect your data?
The main thing they emphasize is local processing.
For a lot of the really sensitive stuff,
the data stays on your computer. It's not
constantly being sent off to external servers. That's
a pretty solid privacy protection.
Plus, Comet is built to be ad free.
It blocks ads automatically and gives you different
levels of tracking protection, putting you more in
(05:22):
control of your digital footprint. Local processing sounds
great for privacy, but I have to push
back a bit here. Does keeping things local
create limitations? Like, what if the AI needs
real time global info or needs to access
a massive cloud model for really complex writing
tasks? Is there a trade off? That's a
fair point, and it's a real engineering balancing
(05:42):
act. The design clearly prioritizes privacy first. While,
yes, some cloud interaction is likely needed for
certain generative tasks or pulling up to the
minute data, the idea is to keep the
sensitive personal interactions happening locally on your device.
The data for comparisons like product specs or
general knowledge can be fetched and processed quickly,
but the personal info needed to, say, buy
(06:04):
something stays put. Okay. And the ad free
local first environment,
it must make things faster. Right? But the
sources mentioned 30 to 40% productivity improvements. That
sounds enormous. Is that just what some users
are saying, or is there more to it?
It seems to be a mix. Anecdotally, people
report pages loading faster simply because there aren't
(06:24):
ads and trackers bogging things down. That makes
sense.
The productivity claim seems tied more to the
reduced cognitive load. The idea that because the
AI handles context switching and routine research, you're
just more efficient.
User studies apparently back this up, so it's
likely a combination of raw speed, fewer distractions,
and the automation kicking in. Alright. Let's say
the performance is genuinely better. The biggest hurdle
(06:47):
is still often just switching. We get used
to our tools. How easy is it for
someone who's maybe used Chrome for ten years
to move over? They seem to have thought
that through pretty well. First off, Comet is
fully compatible with Chrome extensions,
so you don't lose all those little tools
you rely on. The actual migration process
is designed to be almost instantly.
It intelligently imports your bookmarks, password settings, all
(07:10):
that stuff. And importantly, the AI assistant lives
in this persistent side panel. It's always there
if you need it, but it doesn't take
over your screen or interrupt what you're doing,
makes the transition feel less abrupt, more gradual.
Okay. Now let's zoom out a bit. Comet
isn't launching in a vacuum. It's jumping right
into what people are calling the AI browser
wars. It's getting crowded fast. It really is
(07:32):
a hot space right now. Yeah. You've got
the established players like Google adding AI features
like Gemini into their existing browsers, and then
you have other AI native approaches emerging like
maybe OpenAI's operator project
or agents from Antropic. It's definitely competitive. So
what really sets Common apart from, say, Google's
approach? Gemini is powerful, sure, but it still
(07:52):
feels kind of like an add on to
search, doesn't it? I think that's the crucial
difference they're aiming for. Google and others started
with search. Their AI is mostly about getting
you better answers.
Comet positions itself as browser first. It's an
active agent focused on doing things within your
workflow. It understands your open tabs. It wants
to execute tasks, not just hand you links
or summaries.
(08:13):
That browser centric
agent like focus seems to be their unique
selling proposition. And speaking of competition, our sources
mentioned this really bold move by perplexity,
something that shows they're not just playing the
game, they wanna change the rules entirely.
Yes.
The, the reported $34,500,000,000
unsolicited bid to acquire Google Chrome back in
(08:35):
2025.
Mhmm. That was, well, staggering. It wasn't just
for show, I don't think. It was a
direct challenge to Google's whole business model. Chrome
is how Google distributes search, which is how
they make money from ads.
Trying to buy Chrome was basically perplexity saying,
we wanna control the gateway to the Internet
and disrupt how everything works. Right. It showed
massive ambition. And, clearly, there was huge interest,
(08:56):
millions reportedly on the wait list before launch.
So if the browser is free,
how do they sustain that kind of ambition?
What's the business model here? It seems to
center on quality and trust. They offer a
premium subscription, Comet plus. And the big draw
for plus is exclusive access to content summarized
from trusted publishers, reputable sources.
(09:18):
The bet is that in an era of
questionable online info, people will pay for reliable,
verified synthesis
to help them make smarter decisions faster. Makes
sense. And looking just ahead, what's coming next
for Comet? What's on their immediate roadmap?
Expansion and more capabilities seem to be the
focus. First, a mobile launch is apparently coming
very soon. That'll bring the same features, including
(09:39):
voice commands and the ad free experience to
phones and tablets.
Second, they're working on enhanced automation.
The idea is to have these background assistants
that can handle multiple complex tasks at the
same time,
reducing your mental workload even further.
And doubling down on that quality angle through
partnerships.
Exactly. They're expanding their publisher partnerships.
The sources mention names like CNN,
(10:01):
The Washington Post, Le Monde. This really reinforces
their strategy. Move beyond just scraping the open
web and provide answers grounded in verified
professional journalism and content. So what does this
all mean, really? At its core, Comet seems
to be about changing your relationship with your
browser, with your digital tools.
It's trying to end this decades long pattern
(10:22):
of us being passive information hunters
and instead
give you back that mental energy for more
important strategic thinking. The promise is making better
choices faster. Yeah. If we connect this to
the bigger picture, it's about delegating that complex,
often tedious
digital labor.
Comet aims to help you make smarter decisions
by giving you synthesized information, comparisons, and that
(10:44):
constant context awareness instantly. It feels like another
step towards technology truly serving complex human needs,
not just simple ones. Which leaves us, and
you, with a final thought to chew on.
If an AI browser can now reliably handle
complex tasks, autonomously synthesizing reviews, completing purchases, drafting
emails, contextually, basically taking over routine digital work.
(11:06):
What higher level strategic thinking, what creative work
are you now freed up to focus on?
What really becomes the next frontier for human
value? Is it creativity,
innovation,
complex problem solving, interpersonal strategy? When all that
digital grunt work gets handed off to an
intelligent assistant, it really forces a recalibration of
what we consider valuable human time.
Welcome to the deep dive. Today, we're looking
at something that honestly feels like a real
shake up in how we use the Internet.
We're sort of moving beyond just, you know,
typing things into a search bar.
Our sources today are all focused on Comet,
this new browser from Perplexity
AI,
And our mission really is to understand how
this thing, this intelligent browser, is aiming to
(00:20):
completely rewrite what a browser does for you.
Exactly. That's the core idea, isn't it? Comet
isn't just another piece of software hitting the
market. It feels more like a a statement.
It's pushing for a fundamental change, taking browsing
from just passively finding links to well, actively
thinking, organizing, even doing things for you. Yeah.
It really wants to be this AI partner.
(00:41):
Okay. And just the basics for everyone listening,
Comet is AI powered. It's built on Chromium,
so that familiar base is there. And it
launched globally back in July 2024, and it's
free. Alright. Let's unpack this. Why does Perplexity
think this approach, this architecture, is the future
for how we live online?
So the first big term we keep seeing
is AI first. That sounds a bit like
(01:02):
marketing, but is there real substance there? Oh,
absolutely. It's not just jargon. It points to
how it was built fundamentally. Yeah. Think about
it. Most browsers we use today, their core
design is maybe twenty years old.
AI features got, well, bolted on much later.
Comet was designed from the ground up with
AI as its core operating system. Mhmm. So
the whole application is meant to understand context,
(01:24):
understand what you're trying to do, not just
the text in a search box. Right. So
if the foundation is different, what does that
actually feel like for someone using it? How
is it more than just, say, Chrome or
Firefox?
Well, it stops being just a tool for
fetching web pages and becomes more of a
a knowledge creator. A standard browser just shows
you the page. An AI first browser like
Comet, though, it synthesizes information that can help
(01:47):
draft things, compare products for you, manage tasks
that take multiple steps. So instead of you
clicking through endless tabs, the browser is designed
to kinda work with you on the information
itself. That idea, moving from a passive tool
to an active collaborator,
that's all about
reducing the mental effort. Right? Taking stuff off
your plate.
And if the goal is making the browser
(02:08):
feel like part of your your thinking
process, then efficiency has to be key. Yeah.
This is where things get really interesting, especially
if you're focused on getting more done. Yeah.
This is where Comet really leans into being
a personal web agent.
The automation features described in the sources,
they go way beyond just filling in your
address. We're talking about handling complex sequences of
(02:29):
tasks autonomously.
Okay. Give us some specifics. What can this
agent actually do? Well, let's start with something
common, like shopping online.
Here. For ecommerce, it can apparently compare products
across, you know, loads of different retailers. It
can read and synthesize customer reviews from multiple
sites, not just give you a summary, but
really pull the key insights together. And then
if you okay it, it can actually complete
(02:51):
the entire checkout process for you. You. Just
think about the time saved, not manually juggling
15 tabs for price checking and review hunting.
Wow.
That's
that's incredibly powerful. But it does raise a
pretty deep question, doesn't it? If the browser
is summarize reviews and picking the best option
based on its analysis,
aren't you kind of
delegating your own judgment, maybe even trust
(03:14):
to the AI? That's exactly the strategic point
here. You are outsourcing that,
that detailed diligence work. The user has to
trust that the AI's synthesis is accurate and
hopefully unbiased.
Comet's long term success
really hangs on forgetting, proving it can handle
those complex comparisons reliably. It's not just managing
(03:34):
workflows, it's managing delegation. And delegation comes up
with communication too. Right? That's another huge time
drain for so many of us. Absolutely. The
agent can help manage emails both coming in
and going out. It's designed to draft replies
that actually fit the context.
Understanding the email thread's history, adjusting tone, and
beyond that, it can create these daily briefing
summaries of your commitments, pulling info automatically from
(03:56):
different calendars or project tools you might use.
Okay. So the key to making all of
this work smoothly, especially when you've got lots
of different things open,
It must be understanding the context. Like, I
often have, I don't know, 10 tabs open,
all related to one project, but not explicitly
linked. How does Comet manage that? What's fascinating
here and pretty innovative is this feature they
(04:18):
call at tab.
This seems to be the mechanism for keeping
track of your whole session. Say you have
five tabs open, maybe three research articles,
a draft you're writing, and an email. You
can ask the AI assistant a question, and
it's designed to pull relevant info and see
connections across all those tabs no matter which
one you're currently looking at. It basically maintains
(04:38):
awareness of your entire active workspace. Okay. Moving
past the wow features for a second.
Users always have
practical worries when thinking about switching browsers. Things
like, you know, security, speed, and just the
hassle of moving everything over. Right. And Comet
seems designed to tackle those concerns head on,
starting with trust and privacy. Yeah. Data privacy
is huge,
especially if an AI is handling checkouts or
(05:00):
drafting emails. How does Comet protect your data?
The main thing they emphasize is local processing.
For a lot of the really sensitive stuff,
the data stays on your computer. It's not
constantly being sent off to external servers. That's
a pretty solid privacy protection.
Plus, Comet is built to be ad free.
It blocks ads automatically and gives you different
levels of tracking protection, putting you more in
(05:22):
control of your digital footprint. Local processing sounds
great for privacy, but I have to push
back a bit here. Does keeping things local
create limitations? Like, what if the AI needs
real time global info or needs to access
a massive cloud model for really complex writing
tasks? Is there a trade off? That's a
fair point, and it's a real engineering balancing
(05:42):
act. The design clearly prioritizes privacy first. While,
yes, some cloud interaction is likely needed for
certain generative tasks or pulling up to the
minute data, the idea is to keep the
sensitive personal interactions happening locally on your device.
The data for comparisons like product specs or
general knowledge can be fetched and processed quickly,
but the personal info needed to, say, buy
(06:04):
something stays put. Okay. And the ad free
local first environment,
it must make things faster. Right? But the
sources mentioned 30 to 40% productivity improvements. That
sounds enormous. Is that just what some users
are saying, or is there more to it?
It seems to be a mix. Anecdotally, people
report pages loading faster simply because there aren't
(06:24):
ads and trackers bogging things down. That makes
sense.
The productivity claim seems tied more to the
reduced cognitive load. The idea that because the
AI handles context switching and routine research, you're
just more efficient.
User studies apparently back this up, so it's
likely a combination of raw speed, fewer distractions,
and the automation kicking in. Alright. Let's say
the performance is genuinely better. The biggest hurdle
(06:47):
is still often just switching. We get used
to our tools. How easy is it for
someone who's maybe used Chrome for ten years
to move over? They seem to have thought
that through pretty well. First off, Comet is
fully compatible with Chrome extensions,
so you don't lose all those little tools
you rely on. The actual migration process
is designed to be almost instantly.
It intelligently imports your bookmarks, password settings, all
(07:10):
that stuff. And importantly, the AI assistant lives
in this persistent side panel. It's always there
if you need it, but it doesn't take
over your screen or interrupt what you're doing,
makes the transition feel less abrupt, more gradual.
Okay. Now let's zoom out a bit. Comet
isn't launching in a vacuum. It's jumping right
into what people are calling the AI browser
wars. It's getting crowded fast. It really is
(07:32):
a hot space right now. Yeah. You've got
the established players like Google adding AI features
like Gemini into their existing browsers, and then
you have other AI native approaches emerging like
maybe OpenAI's operator project
or agents from Antropic. It's definitely competitive. So
what really sets Common apart from, say, Google's
approach? Gemini is powerful, sure, but it still
(07:52):
feels kind of like an add on to
search, doesn't it? I think that's the crucial
difference they're aiming for. Google and others started
with search. Their AI is mostly about getting
you better answers.
Comet positions itself as browser first. It's an
active agent focused on doing things within your
workflow. It understands your open tabs. It wants
to execute tasks, not just hand you links
or summaries.
(08:13):
That browser centric
agent like focus seems to be their unique
selling proposition. And speaking of competition, our sources
mentioned this really bold move by perplexity,
something that shows they're not just playing the
game, they wanna change the rules entirely.
Yes.
The, the reported $34,500,000,000
unsolicited bid to acquire Google Chrome back in
(08:35):
2025.
Mhmm. That was, well, staggering. It wasn't just
for show, I don't think. It was a
direct challenge to Google's whole business model. Chrome
is how Google distributes search, which is how
they make money from ads.
Trying to buy Chrome was basically perplexity saying,
we wanna control the gateway to the Internet
and disrupt how everything works. Right. It showed
massive ambition. And, clearly, there was huge interest,
(08:56):
millions reportedly on the wait list before launch.
So if the browser is free,
how do they sustain that kind of ambition?
What's the business model here? It seems to
center on quality and trust. They offer a
premium subscription, Comet plus. And the big draw
for plus is exclusive access to content summarized
from trusted publishers, reputable sources.
(09:18):
The bet is that in an era of
questionable online info, people will pay for reliable,
verified synthesis
to help them make smarter decisions faster. Makes
sense. And looking just ahead, what's coming next
for Comet? What's on their immediate roadmap?
Expansion and more capabilities seem to be the
focus. First, a mobile launch is apparently coming
very soon. That'll bring the same features, including
(09:39):
voice commands and the ad free experience to
phones and tablets.
Second, they're working on enhanced automation.
The idea is to have these background assistants
that can handle multiple complex tasks at the
same time,
reducing your mental workload even further.
And doubling down on that quality angle through
partnerships.
Exactly. They're expanding their publisher partnerships.
The sources mention names like CNN,
(10:01):
The Washington Post, Le Monde. This really reinforces
their strategy. Move beyond just scraping the open
web and provide answers grounded in verified
professional journalism and content. So what does this
all mean, really? At its core, Comet seems
to be about changing your relationship with your
browser, with your digital tools.
It's trying to end this decades long pattern
(10:22):
of us being passive information hunters
and instead
give you back that mental energy for more
important strategic thinking. The promise is making better
choices faster. Yeah. If we connect this to
the bigger picture, it's about delegating that complex,
often tedious
digital labor.
Comet aims to help you make smarter decisions
by giving you synthesized information, comparisons, and that
(10:44):
constant context awareness instantly. It feels like another
step towards technology truly serving complex human needs,
not just simple ones. Which leaves us, and
you, with a final thought to chew on.
If an AI browser can now reliably handle
complex tasks, autonomously synthesizing reviews, completing purchases, drafting
emails, contextually, basically taking over routine digital work.
(11:06):
What higher level strategic thinking, what creative work
are you now freed up to focus on?
What really becomes the next frontier for human
value? Is it creativity,
innovation,
complex problem solving, interpersonal strategy? When all that
digital grunt work gets handed off to an
intelligent assistant, it really forces a recalibration of
what we consider valuable human time.
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