AI Everything Today

Quick summary: what changed and who is involved

Perplexity announced that its AI-first browser, Comet, is now available to everyone for free after a limited rollout to paying subscribers. Comet centers Perplexity’s AI search and a persistent personal assistant that follows users around the web to help with tasks like shopping, booking, and research.

Comet Plus remains a paid tier. That tier is included with Perplexity’s Pro and Max subscriptions, or it can be purchased separately for five dollars per month for other users. Comet Plus adds curated news content from launch partners including CNN, Condé Nast, Fortune, Le Figaro, Le Monde, the LA Times, and the Washington Post.

What Comet actually does for an ordinary user

Comet combines four main pieces in one browser experience. Each part is designed to reduce repetitive work when you browse.

• AI search engine, powered by Perplexity’s models, that answers questions and shows source links.
• Persistent assistant, a small AI that stays active across tabs and sites; it can help book flights, compare products, or summarize pages.
• Task tools, like shopping helpers and research assistants, that collect information across sites into a single view.
• Curated publisher content, available in Comet Plus, supplied by major news partners to give a magazine style feed inside the browser.

Why this matters to regular people

For everyday users, Comet aims to make the browser feel more like a partner than a passive window. If you often compare products, plan travel, or read news from several sites, an assistant that remembers context across tabs could save time.

Free access lowers the barrier to trying these features. You can test the assistant and AI search without paying. The paid Comet Plus tier then offers extra convenience through curated news, which may interest people who value a single place to check trusted outlets.

How Comet fits into the current browser scene

Comet is entering a competitive moment for browsers. Google is integrating its Gemini model into Chrome. Other companies, such as Arc and Opera, have been experimenting with AI first browsing and similar assistant features.

Perplexity positions Comet differently by focusing on an agentic assistant, one that actively follows and helps across sites. That could appeal to users who want more hands on help while they browse, rather than only search results within a page.

Business model and publisher relationships

Comet’s launch shows a hybrid approach to monetization.

• Basic Comet is free, with paid Pro and Max subscriptions for power users.
• Comet Plus bundles curated news from launch partners, which suggests a revenue sharing or licensing arrangement with publishers.
• The separate five dollar per month option for Comet Plus means users can access publisher content without a full Pro or Max subscription.

Including prominent outlets such as CNN, Condé Nast, Fortune, Le Figaro, Le Monde, the LA Times, and the Washington Post indicates that publishers are testing new ways to reach readers inside AI enabled products. The exact financial terms and how revenue is shared were not announced when Comet opened to the public.

Privacy and data use: questions to consider

Browsers that include persistent AI assistants raise a few familiar privacy questions. Users often want to know how their browsing data is used to generate answers, whether data leaves their device, and how long any contextual memory is stored.

Perplexity has not released a full public breakdown of Comet’s data handling at the time of the wider rollout. If privacy is important to you, check the browser settings and the company privacy notices after you install Comet. Look for options to clear assistant history, disable context sharing, or limit personalized features.

Practical examples of how people might use Comet

• Shopping, comparing the same product across multiple retailers, with the assistant summarizing price differences and shipping terms.
• Trip planning, collecting flight options, hotel links, and local guides, then presenting a concise comparison or suggested itinerary.
• Research, summarizing multiple articles or academic pages, and producing a short summary plus source links you can save.
• News reading, using Comet Plus to see curated stories from partner outlets in one feed inside the browser.

Short comparison: Comet versus Chrome with Gemini, Arc, and Opera

All of these browsers or features aim to add AI to everyday browsing, but they take different approaches.

• Chrome with Gemini, deep integration of Google models inside the dominant browser, leveraging Google’s search and services.
• Arc and Dia, smaller browsers focused on design and productivity, adding AI features aimed at creative workflows and tab management.
• Opera, experimenting with built in AI tools inside a mainstream browser with a global user base.
• Comet, centers Perplexity’s AI search plus a persistent assistant that actively helps across sites. It emphasizes task completion and curated publisher content in a paid tier.

Key differences to watch

• Where the AI runs, locally or in the cloud.
• How much context the assistant keeps across sessions.
• Which publishers or services are integrated, and under what terms.
• Whether the core browser remains free, and what features require payment.

Potential implications for publishers and journalism

Comet Plus includes curated content from established news organizations. This moves publishers toward testing paid inclusion inside AI enabled products. For publishers, participating could bring new readers and revenue streams. For users, curated feeds may make it easier to find quality journalism inside an AI enhanced browsing environment.

At the same time, the arrangement raises questions about how clicks and subscriptions will be tracked, how attribution is handled for AI summaries, and whether publishers will receive fair compensation when their content is surfaced inside a browser’s assistant or feed.

What Perplexity and users might need to address next

• Clear privacy documentation and easy user controls for assistant memory and data sharing.
• Transparent publisher revenue arrangements, so readers and newsrooms understand the economics.
• Usability testing and fixes as more people try Comet, to ensure the assistant helps rather than distracts.
• Technical details on where AI processing happens, especially for users with data sensitivity concerns.

Key takeaways

• Perplexity made Comet, its AI browser, free for everyone after a limited paid rollout.
• Comet Plus remains paid, included with Pro and Max subscriptions, or available for five dollars per month.
• Comet combines AI search, a persistent assistant, and task tools, plus curated news from major publishers in the paid tier.
• The move raises questions about privacy, publisher compensation, and how AI will change everyday browsing tasks.

FAQ

Is Comet free to use right now? Yes, Perplexity opened basic Comet access to everyone for free after testing it with paid subscribers.

What does Comet Plus add? Comet Plus includes curated news content from launch partners such as CNN, Condé Nast, Fortune, Le Figaro, Le Monde, the LA Times, and the Washington Post. It is part of Pro and Max subscriptions or available separately for five dollars per month.

Do I need Comet Plus to use the AI assistant? No, the core assistant and AI search are available in the free version. Comet Plus focuses on curated publisher content and additional perks.

Are there privacy risks? Any browser with a persistent assistant raises data questions. Check Perplexity’s privacy information and use available settings to control context and history.

Conclusion

Perplexity’s decision to offer Comet to everyone for free opens a wider audience to an AI centered browsing experience. The paid Comet Plus tier, with content from major publishers, signals how publishers and browser makers are experimenting with new revenue paths. For users, the practical benefits will be how well the persistent assistant speeds up common tasks and how clearly privacy and compensation issues are handled.

Try the free version if you are curious about an AI assistant that travels with you across the web, and review the paid options if curated news inside the browser matters to you. Watch for updates from Perplexity and publisher partners about data practices and revenue terms as adoption grows.