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Nvidia-backed Perplexity launches AI-powered Comet browser to challenge Google Chrome

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Nvidia-backed startup Perplexity AI announced on Wednesday the launch of Comet, a new AI-powered web browser designed to compete with Alphabet’s dominant Google Chrome. The browser aims to revolutionize web navigation by using intelligent AI agents capable of thinking, acting, and deciding on users’ behalf, streamlining tasks into a conversational experience.

Google Chrome currently dominates the global browser market with a 68% share as of June, far ahead of competitors like Safari, Microsoft Edge, and Firefox.

Comet offers users a unified interface where they can ask questions, perform tasks such as booking meetings, compare products, and summarize complex content—all via a built-in AI assistant. The browser targets simplifying workflows with natural language interactions.

Currently, Comet is accessible to subscribers of Perplexity Max, which costs $200 per month, with plans for a wider rollout by invite over the summer.

Backed by investors including Jeff Bezos, SoftBank, and Nvidia, Perplexity is positioning Comet not only as a browser competitor but also exploring new revenue avenues through advertising and e-commerce integration.

The move follows similar AI enhancements by competitors: OpenAI added a search engine feature to ChatGPT, and Google launched AI Overviews, an AI-driven search summary tool, last May.

Comet prioritizes user privacy by storing data locally and not using personal information for AI model training—a key differentiator likely to attract privacy-focused users.

However, Perplexity faces criticism from media companies like News Corp, Forbes, Wired, and Dow Jones for allegedly using their content without permission or payment. In response, Perplexity has introduced a publisher partnership program aimed at fostering collaboration with news organizations.

Perplexity AI Partners with PayPal to Enable Seamless In-Chat Purchases

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Perplexity AI announced on Wednesday a new partnership with PayPal that will allow users to make direct purchases — including booking travel or buying event tickets — within its AI-powered chat interface, marking a significant step forward in agentic commerce.

The collaboration, launching this summer in the U.S., will let users instantly check out via PayPal or Venmo, with payments and invoicing processed automatically through PayPal’s account-linking system. The experience will aim to eliminate passwords and reduce transactions to a single query or click.

“This integration streamlines shopping to a level where AI agents not only recommend but complete the transaction for users,” Perplexity said in its statement.

Key Highlights:

  • 🔄 In-chat commerce: Perplexity Pro users can buy products, book flights, or purchase tickets without leaving the interface.

  • 🔐 Seamless checkout: PayPal’s backend will handle payments, offering a frictionless, secure experience.

  • 🌐 Global reach: The partnership could tap into PayPal’s 430+ million active users across nearly 200 markets.

  • 🚀 Part of agentic commerce boom: Perplexity is among the leaders in enabling AI agents that handle both search and transaction execution.

About Perplexity

Often compared to ChatGPT and Google Gemini, Perplexity AI delivers real-time search-based responses and is backed by prominent investors including:

  • Jeff Bezos (Amazon founder)

  • Nvidia

  • SoftBank Group

The company is reportedly in advanced talks to raise $500 million, with a projected valuation of $14 billion, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Industry Implications

This partnership highlights a new frontier for AI assistants — moving from passive information providers to active transactional agents, capable of:

  • Navigating commercial tasks,

  • Handling purchases,

  • Managing billing and documentation in real time.

As Perplexity integrates with a global payment powerhouse like PayPal, it sets the stage for AI-powered commerce ecosystems that could reshape how consumers shop, book, and pay — all in a single chat window.

Apple’s AI-Powered Safari Search Plans Challenge Google’s Online Dominance

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Apple’s move to introduce AI-powered search options in its Safari browser is emerging as a significant challenge to Google’s dominance in online search, with major implications for the tech and digital advertising landscape.

According to reports, Apple is “actively looking at” overhauling Safari by integrating new AI-based search alternatives such as OpenAI and Perplexity AI. This strategy directly targets Google, whose lucrative advertising business heavily depends on iPhone users searching via Safari — a privilege for which it reportedly pays Apple about $20 billion annually.

The development rattled investors, sending shares of Google-parent Alphabet (GOOGL) down 7.3% and erasing nearly $150 billion from its market valuation. Apple’s own stock dipped 1.1% on the same day.

Apple executive Eddy Cue testified during an antitrust case against Google that search activity on Safari had declined last month for the first time, as more users began relying on AI tools for information. This trend, if sustained, could mark a fundamental shift in consumer behavior — away from traditional keyword search engines and toward conversational AI and generative search technologies.

Google responded by asserting it continues to see growth in total search queries, including those from Apple devices, attributing the increase to tools like voice and visual search and newer features like “AI Overviews” that summarize results at the top of the search page. The company also plans to integrate its Gemini AI model into Apple devices through a potential deal expected by mid-2025.

Still, analysts warn that the end of Google’s default search position on Safari could have serious repercussions. Gil Luria of D.A. Davidson noted that if advertisers begin shifting budgets to competing AI-driven search engines, Google’s market share and revenue could suffer substantially.

Meanwhile, platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity are gaining traction rapidly. ChatGPT, for instance, logged over 1 billion weekly searches in April and reported more than 400 million weekly active users in February.

The U.S. Department of Justice, which has filed multiple antitrust suits against Google, proposes banning exclusive deals like the one between Apple and Google as part of broader efforts to increase competition in the search market.

As generative AI reshapes how people seek and consume information, Apple’s Safari updates could open the door to a new era of search — one where Google is no longer the default.