Perplexity Rolls Out Free, Autonomous Personal Assistant

Introduction: Disrupting Browsers with AI

In October 2025, Perplexity AI announced a breakthrough that’s shaking up the browser market: the global launch of its Comet browser, now available for free to everyone. Originally exclusive to high-tier subscribers, Comet’s feature-rich, agentic platform puts Perplexity in direct competition with Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and AI rivals like Anthropic and OpenAI. The move signals a new era for internet navigation, combining artificial intelligence and seamless automation for both experienced users and newcomers.cnbc+2

What Makes Comet a Game-Changer?

Built-In Autonomous Personal Assistant

At the heart of Comet is its AI assistant, which appears in every tab and acts as an autonomous agent, answering natural language questions, summarizing articles, managing tabs, handling email, supporting online shopping, automating workflows, and more. Unlike plugin-based approaches in traditional browsers, Comet’s assistant is natively integrated, reducing friction and letting users stay focused on their goals.searchenginejournal+2

Productivity, Research, and Task Automation

Comet refines the browsing experience:

• Natural language research: Instantly summarize web pages, get direct answers, and cite sources without leaving the tab.

• Agentic automation: Book appointments, compare prices, generate content, and run multi-step workflows, all managed by the assistant.

• Personalized recommendations: AI suggests articles, shopping items, or actions tailored to user activity.

• Workspaces and tab organization: Manage complex projects, group related tabs, and keep context for ongoing tasks.timesofindia.indiatimes+1

Maximum Compatibility and Speed

Comet is Chromium-based, ensuring compatibility with thousands of Chrome extensions and bookmarks. It’s optimized for speed and multitasking, with early users reporting significantly higher levels of engagement compared to conventional search engines and browsers.linkedin+2

Competing with Tech Giants—Free to the World

From Premium Model to Democratized AI

Perplexity initially offered Comet to Perplexity Max subscribers at $200/month, but with “millions” on the waitlist, the company made its features free to all users, democratizing access to dynamic AI-driven browsing. The launch challenges big players—Google’s Gemini, OpenAI’s Operator, Anthropic’s browser agents—who have become increasingly active in the browser space.cnbc+1

Ongoing Innovations

Recent updates include the “Background Assistant” for Max users—an agent that works quietly to surface insights and automate research without disrupting workflow. Features in development promise mobile versions and even more background intelligence for multi-taskers.

Conclusion: The Next Evolution in Web Browsing

The worldwide release of Comet marks a pivotal moment in how people interact with information online. By embedding autonomous AI deeply into the browser experience, Perplexity empowers users to work smarter, automate complex tasks, discover relevant content, and reduce clutter. As competition heats up, Comet is leading the way toward a browser future that’s fast, intuitive, and powered by intelligent assistants.

Comet is now available for free download—ushering in a new era for browsing powered by autonomous AI.cnet+3