Perplexity has definitely been in the news these past few days. The startup, which is developing an AI search engine, is indeed whetting the appetite of several Silicon Valley giants, including Apple and Meta. But since the checks aren't coming in, the company is continuing to plough its furrow solo and is preparing the launch of its own web browser, Comet.
A Little AI and a Lot of Data
Announced last February, this "agentic browser" is obviously powered by AI. It therefore (obviously) integrates a chatbot that can answer all questions with varying degrees of hallucination, it can also retrieve forgotten emails awaiting a response, or check if there are discount coupons in a shopping cart. The beta version, which has been available to a handful of Mac users since May, also includes a feature for virtually trying on clothes: Comet generates an image of the user (previously uploaded) with an item of clothing found on the internet. Where progress lies, frankly.
A beta version for Windows has been compiled, and Perplexity has sent invitations to a select few testers. An Android version is in the pipeline. Aravind Srinivas, Perplexity's CEO, is pleased to see development moving so quickly. At this rate, Comet could soon be offered to all users.
But will they really want it? Some still haven't digested the CEO's remarks, who, in April, made no secret of his intentions: releasing a browser allows for the collection of a maximum amount of data on Internet users in order to target them with advertising. Aravind Srinivas then complained that his remarks had been taken out of context, and that users would have the option to opt out of these customization options. It's better to say it.
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