Perplexity Comet points to a bigger product shift: browsers may evolve from passive tabs and search boxes into agentic workspaces that research, compare, plan, and act across the open web.
The browser has always been the operating layer for modern knowledge work. People research, shop, compare, learn, write, manage tasks, use SaaS tools, and make decisions through browser tabs. That makes the browser a powerful place for AI agents to live.
Perplexity Comet is part of a larger shift toward agentic browsing. Instead of asking an AI assistant a question and then manually checking multiple websites, users can ask the browser assistant to summarize pages, compare options, follow up on context, and potentially complete web tasks. That changes the browser from a navigation tool into a decision-support environment.
The opportunity is attractive, but it also raises a serious trust question. If an AI browser can see what you read, summarize logged-in pages, fill forms, compare prices, or act across accounts, users need precise control over what the agent can view, remember, and do.
Why browsers are becoming AI battlegrounds
Search engines answer questions, but browsers contain the full workflow. They see the research journey, the tabs, the documents, the shopping cart, the SaaS dashboard, and the decision context. That gives browser-based AI a richer environment than a standalone chatbot.
For users, the value is not only a faster answer. It is continuity. An AI browser can help compare product pages, summarize long documents, extract details from a website, draft a response based on the current page, or remember what the user was trying to accomplish across several tabs.
The strongest use cases are research and comparison
Agentic browsers are most useful when the task involves multiple pages and judgement. Examples include comparing software tools, researching a topic, checking reviews, planning travel, summarizing documentation, gathering competitor information, or preparing a purchase shortlist.
These tasks are painful because users normally jump between tabs, copy text, re-check sources, and lose context. An AI browser can reduce the friction by keeping the task context inside the browsing session.
The hidden risk is over-trusting page summaries
Summaries can be useful, but they can also flatten important differences between sources. A browser assistant may summarize a pricing page, policy, review, or technical document in a way that sounds confident but misses constraints, conditions, or exceptions.
Users should treat AI browser output as a structured research aid, not a final authority. The best product design will make sources visible, preserve links to the exact page context, and let users inspect the evidence behind every recommendation.
What to look for in an AI browser
A strong AI browser should offer source-aware answers, page-level context, tab-aware assistance, privacy controls, permission boundaries, memory settings, reliable citation behavior, and clear separation between reading, drafting, and taking action.
The best fit users are researchers, founders, marketers, students, analysts, shoppers, and knowledge workers who spend a lot of time comparing information online. Casual users may still prefer a traditional browser plus a separate assistant until agentic browsing becomes more predictable.
