First they took care of your writing. Currently, artificial intelligence systems are trying to do your web browsing for you.
As AI companies are looking for more ways to integrate tools into their daily lives, a new slate of AI-powered web browsers has come into the scene.
Comet, a web browser for Perplexity AI, launched a lot of fanfare from several high-tech circles on Wednesday as early users tested its functionality. Enter a busy space that includes products such as DIA, Google's Gemini in Chrome, and products that have reported upcoming browsers from Openai on ChatGpt Creator.
Perplexity Touts Comet is available only as a “thinking partner” that helps users achieve tasks without actually doing browsing work. In tests, NBC News discovered that browsers can book reservations, prepare online purchases, and plan a full vacation. However, this process was not as seamless as it appears in the demo.
Browsers are part of an escalate race to advance AI agents, or part of an AI system that allows users to make decisions and take action on their behalf. When users chat with tools like Claude or ChatGpt, they can enter questions and get answers, but they need to decide what to do with the answer. However, AI agents will send questions directly to your browser, generate new ones based on your knowledge about you, and actively make decisions.
Browser native AI may try to learn your routine. For example, when eating lunch. When lunchtime arrives, you can automatically order one of your favorite meals or reserve a table at your favorite restaurant.
Comet is opened to Perplexity's AI search engine, which operates in the sidebar. In tests conducted by NBC News, Comet was able to assist with tasks such as applying for jobs, purchasing new outfits, and booking gym visits. However, in many cases, user intervention was required. This is primarily due to privacy restrictions that prevent people from accessing and entering personal information without taking final action.
For example, when trying to buy online, Comet Assistant offered to assist with other methods, such as tracking transactions and comparing products, but said it could not carry out the transaction directly. You can also add items to your cart.
“For your privacy and security, I cannot accept, process or store personal or payment information. I cannot complete transactions or purchases on your behalf,” the assistant writes. “This policy protects your sensitive data and ensures the safe and responsible use of this assistant.”
And when I asked my browser assistant to actually apply for a job, it went to the site, selected the job, and started the application process, but the user had to log in to the site themselves. Then, the user says, “You will need to review and submit your application yourself, especially if you need personal information or verification steps that your application can provide.”
However, the browser booked a gym tour successfully. When first asked to book a tour, Comet claimed that a visit was scheduled. When asked to confirm, it was revealed that it had landed only on the “Placeholder or Preselect” page. When I asked to book again, I urged my assistant to request the necessary information from the user before filling out and submitting the form in real time within the browser.
Comet also appears to be able to understand multiple tabs at once. When asked to compare gym selections based on user open tabs, I created a chart comparing membership prices for gyms with websites open in my browser.
According to Perplexity, the browser will be deployed to additional users over the summer through an invitation-based system and ultimately available for free use.
AI agents have become more common on the internet this year as businesses added tools to their websites. Expedia's AI travel agents can already plan their itinerary and book their trips. Walmart launches an AI Shopping Assistant that can create recommendations in June, helping shoppers quickly sort their products and services.
Agents arrive to outweigh the adoption of the Internet and personal computers at similar points in development. It also outperforms the demographics of major consumers. AI trust was 60% of individuals between the ages of 18 and 24, and 60% of people who earned more than $100,000 a year.
Some people expect artificial intelligence to replace search engines. Apple's senior vice president, Eddy Cue, testified that Google search fell in Safari for the first time in history in April 2025, linking the decline to AI.
To keep up with AI Web Revolution, Google has deployed “AI Mode” in its search engines and offers the Chemini Assistant as a Chrome add-on. However, Comet has a wider integration of its AI functions through its default web interface.
