Perplexity's New AI-First Browser (the beginnings of an OS for AI)

I feel like I'm living in the future right now.

I've been testing Perplexity's new AI-enhanced browser called Comet, and it's the first time in years that I've genuinely considered switching away from Chrome.

Like millions of others, I spend hours and hours a day in a browser… And Chrome hasn't fundamentally changed much at all in years. The best thing to happen to Chrome was Chrome Extensions, but that was 15+ years ago.

Comet is changing everything for me. It's like having an AI assistant that's right there as you're doing normal browser-y things, but when you need to do something related to one of your tabs, you can just ask the assistant to handle it.

So in today's newsletter, I’m breaking down:

• What makes Comet different from every other browser attempt

• Why I just sold the os.ai domain to Perplexity (and what it means)

• The 3 coolest Comet use cases I've discovered so far

—@dharmesh

An AI That Actually Lives in Your Browser

Perplexity Comet is the new AI browser that embeds their search engine alongside an AI assistant capable of performing agentic tasks like booking meetings and navigating websites, all while integrating with user workflows.

Comet lives in a sidebar that watches you browse, answering questions and having the ability to take actions within a tab for you. You can prompt it, or use voice to have it navigate websites, fill forms, or handle multi-step tasks without touching the interface.

What's magical is that because it's running inside the browser itself (Comet is a full-fledged browser), it can do anything that you could do, including interacting with sites that require you to be logged in.

I could ramble on, but here’s a quick overview:

• Comet can "vibe browse", exploring websites and gathering information without direct interaction

• It handles complex multi-step workflows using natural language or using voice commands

• Since it's running inside the browser itself, it can interact with sites that require you to be logged in

• It seamlessly integrates with existing extensions and bookmarks

Currently, Comet is invite-only unless you have access to Perplexity Max ($200/mo subscription), with Free, Pro and Enterprise users joining a rolling waitlist.

I've long said it would take something really special to get me to switch away from Chrome (old habits die hard). I've tried Arc, Brave, and others--they never stuck. (Yes, I’m playing around with Dia too — but nothing to report yet).

Comet might be the thing that finally gets me to switch for good. It's the first browser that makes browsing feel genuinely different for the first time in over a decade.

I Sold Another Domain… to Perplexity

Speaking of Perplexity, here's some news I'm excited to share: I just sold the domain os.ai to them (if you click the link it’ll take you to Perplexity Comet).

Aravind announced it earlier this week, and while I can't share details of the deal, I will say this: I was already a shareholder in Perplexity before (I love the product, as do millions of others). Now I'm a somewhat larger shareholder.

I've written previously about the idea of an OS for the age of AI, and this move represents my belief in that vision:

Decades ago we saw the PC wars. I was there for that. Then we saw the battle for the browser. After that, the fight for the mobile OS.

Every major technology shift brings a new kind of operating system, and it makes complete sense for an OS for AI to exist. It's inevitable. And exciting.

And for those curious to how this all happened, it was all in public through a Twitter/X comment thread we had back in March. As Aravind puts it, "deals are made on X".

This domain sale actually inspired me to finally launch a new agent today called the Domain Idea Generation agent on agent.ai. You can get to it by visiting DomainGen.com. (And yes, I used the agent itself to find that domain name)

If you’re like me, you have the need for a domain for new business ideas and new projects all the time. If you’re a lot like me, so you sometimes have a whim or a fancy around a concept and want to own a domain name to manifest that whim (as happened with os.ai).

The DomainGen.com agent will help you scratch that itch and (hopefully) come up with some great domain ideas.

Let me know how it works out for you and I appreciate all feedback. I’m iterating on it daily, so looking to keep improving it.

If the links above give you an issue, you can also go straight to agent.ai/agent/domain-suggestions.

3 Comet Use Cases That Blew My Mind

After a week of testing, here are the three use cases that convinced me this isn't just another browser with AI features bolted on:

1. Email and Calendar Management

Comet's Gmail connector is the first I've seen that truly integrates email and calendar management directly in the browser. The AI can summarize long email threads, schedule meetings, and manage calendar events without me ever leaving the page.

Yesterday morning, I asked it to "brief me on my day and suggest optimal meeting times for the three scheduling requests in my inbox." Within seconds, it analyzed my calendar, summarized the key meetings, identified the best time slots based on email content, and even drafted responses suggesting those times.

Neither Google nor OpenAI have achieved this level of seamless integration in their agents. Comet shines here in ways that feel genuinely useful rather than gimmicky.

2. Instant Video Summarization (No More Scrubbing!)

This one feels like magic. I can summarize or find specific phrases in YouTube videos with a single click--even on a 2-hour long podcast.

I tested this with my TEDx talk from last week. Instead of rewatching the entire 16-minute presentation to pull key quotes for social media, I just asked Comet to "summarize the main points and extract the three most quotable moments."

It delivered a concise summary and pulled out exactly the quotes I needed. What would have taken me tedious scrubbing through video took 20 seconds.

3. LinkedIn Automation

Comet can automate connection requests intelligently, sending personalized messages based on mutual connections or shared interests it discovers from browsing context. Even better, it can review your pending connection requests and flag anyone important you might have missed.

If you've been following me for some time, you know I'm a LinkedIn power user. I'm incredibly picky about automation tools because most make you sound like a bot.

Comet's different.

The Browser Wars Are Back

Chrome has dominated browsers for over a decade, but it appears to be a step behind on the agentic, AI-driven transition. While there will be hiccups as agents continue to evolve, Comet (along with others like Dia, and soon OpenAI's rumored browser) are taking the first steps into what feels like an inevitable shift in how we navigate and take actions on the web.

This reminds me of the early browser wars, except this time the competitive advantage isn't speed or standards compliance--it's how well AI agents can act on your behalf.

What's different now is that we're not just talking about better ways to view web pages. We're talking about fundamentally reimagining how we interact with information and accomplish tasks online.

That's exactly why I sold os.ai to Perplexity. This isn't just about building a better browser--it's about creating the operating system for the AI era. Every major technology shift brings a new kind of OS, and we're watching that unfold in real time.

For the first time in years, I'm genuinely excited about browsing again.

—Dharmesh (@dharmesh)