AI Browser on Smartphones: Perplexity Offers an Alternative to Chrome

Nvidia-backed startup Perplexity is in talks with mobile device manufacturers about pre-installing the new Comet browser on smartphones. This was stated by the company's CEO Aravind Srinivasan in an interview with Reuters.

This could expand the reach of the AI search engine, as users often use the default preset browsers. However, convincing mobile device developers is not easy, noted Srinivas.

After stabilizing the desktop version of Comet, designed for several hundred thousand users, Perplexity plans to reach an audience of "tens or hundreds of millions" next year.

In July, the company launched its own web browser — Comet. The key feature of the tool is the built-in AI search system that summarizes the query results.

The application allows you to ask questions related to personal data and perform tasks: schedule meetings, summarize the content of web pages, etc.

At the same time, OpenAI plans to release its own AI-based web browser in the coming weeks. Instead of the usual navigation to websites, some actions will be performed directly in an interface similar to ChatGPT.

The efforts of the startup reflect a broader trend in the industry — the creation of web browsers with agent-based AI functions that allow for performing routine tasks on behalf of the user, such as booking hotels or purchasing airline tickets.

According to Statcounter, last month Chrome accounted for about 70% of mobile traffic; Apple’s Safari and Samsung’s browser accounted for another 24%.

It is worth noting that in April, the number of search queries in Safari decreased for the first time. This is related to the growing popularity of AI-based chatbots — people are increasingly turning to them for help instead of the usual internet search.