Comet enters early testing as Perplexity debuts its agentic browser

Perplexity has started rolling out its new Comet Browser to early testers, with initial reports and screenshots surfacing on Reddit and X. While it may resemble a conventional browser at first glance, Comet is built around the core idea of Perplexity's agent functioning as an integral part of the browsing experience—something that sets it apart from existing AI-powered tools like Copilot in Edge.

What makes Comet unique isn't just its horizontal tab layout or custom homepage, but the deeply embedded AI interface accessible from multiple entry points: the homepage input, address bar, and a dedicated right sidebar. This design lets users initiate conversations with Perplexity at any time, from any context, and most notably, it allows Perplexity to see and interpret the content of your current tab. This contextual understanding enables features like webpage summarization and in-chat screenshot insertion.

Where Comet stands out is in its agentic capabilities. Perplexity can manage tabs autonomously—opening, grouping, or closing them on command. More significantly, it has access to browser history and, when granted, can operate across platforms like Gmail and Google Calendar. This isn't just about integration—it can execute tasks. For example, when logged into social platforms like X, users can prompt Perplexity to post replies or updates, executed via a headless browsing mode. This represents a shift toward a browser that doesn’t just assist—it acts.

The agent’s ability to interact with web apps and carry out tasks autonomously places Comet into a new category of AI-native browsers. Its tab management and agent execution make it especially valuable for power users handling large browsing sessions. The optional customization, including avatars themed after celestial bodies, adds a playful nod to its branding, while the opt-in privacy settings offer a balanced default stance for cautious users.

While still in early testing, Comet reveals a strong direction for Perplexity's long-term strategy: pushing from a passive Q&A engine toward a full-stack AI agent embedded into daily workflows. The Comet browser could become Perplexity’s bridge into productivity and personal assistant domains, directly competing with Microsoft's Edge+Copilot combo, but with deeper agentic control over the browsing environment itself.