Perplexity debuts free AI browser that at the moment prices $200
On Wednesday, Perplexity.ai debuted Comet, its first entry into the browser market that does away with Google and Microsoft’s Bing in favor of its personal search engine.
Comet will probably be accessible for each Home windows and macOS platforms, the corporate mentioned.
Perplexity has locked Comet behind a, um, perplexing pricing mannequin. Though Comet is technically free, Perplexity has made it accessible for now through a waitlist. When you’d wish to obtain it, you’ll be able to wait on your flip to reach or subscribe to Perplexity Max, the corporate’s $200/mo plan that features entry to its newest AI fashions.
What units Perplexity aside is that the browser doesn’t use a standard third-party search engine. As a substitute, it depends upon Perplexity’s AI engine to supply AI summaries of the solutions. It can also carry out duties that different AI engines can do, reminiscent of summarizing net pages. The Browser Firm of New York has additionally launched an AI browser referred to as Dia.
Our colleagues at TechCrunch took Comet for a spin, and located the browser helpful, although it couldn’t deal with complicated duties. One disconcerting facet: if you need Comet to have the ability to assist manage your personal life, you’ll want to offer it entry to your personal data, reminiscent of your calendar and electronic mail.
Comet additionally employs agentic AI, which sends off numerous AI couriers to carry out duties independently, then waits on your approval. The issue? On this case, it didn’t work. When TechCrunch’s Maxwell Zeff requested Comet to hunt out and e book a parking area for an upcoming journey, issues went south.
“Seems, Comet Assistant hallucinated and entered fully improper dates, later telling me that the dates I wished had been booked, however nonetheless wished to have me full the check-out anyhow,” Zeff mentioned. “I needed to inform the AI agent that the dates had been non-negotiable, and requested it to search out one other location. It bumped into the identical drawback once more.”
Perplexity, certainly.
