Leaving The Internet In Google’s Hands Is Dangerous, Says Perplexity CEO Arvind Srinivas | Tech News

Indian-origin CEO Arvind Srinivas made the statement after Perplexity recently launched its AI-powered Comet. (News18 Hindi)

Perplexity CEO Arvind Srinivas has sparked fresh debate online after promoting his new Comet AI Browser on X, warning that “leaving the internet in Google’s hands is very dangerous.”

This development comes as Perplexity launched its AI-powered Comet recently, targeting direct competition with Google Chrome. The company claims it will provide users with a “familiar but smart experience.”

Previously, Perplexity made an unsolicited offer of $34.5 billion (around Rs 2.8 lakh crore) to buy the Chrome browser from Google, despite Perplexity’s own valuation being around $18 billion. This bold move, offering nearly double their own worth, highlighted their ambition to gain a significant foothold in the AI search market.

Perplexity promised to keep Chromium open-source, not change the default search settings, and invest $3 billion in two years if the acquisition were successful.

This offer coincided with the US Department of Justice (DOJ) pressuring Google to sell Chrome in an antitrust case, aiming to reduce Google’s dominance in search and give other companies a fair chance.

Perplexity has recently introduced its own Comet Browser, based on the Chromium framework, supporting Chrome extensions and bookmarks.

Comet features an AI sidebar assistant capable of tasks like article summaries, email drafting, schedule management, and real-time fact-checking. It also offers smart tools such as workspace features, content generation, and personalised recommendations.

Currently, Comet is available for Perplexity Pro users in India on Windows and macOS, with Android pre-orders open and an iOS version launching soon. Perplexity has partnered with Bharti Airtel to offer users a free one-year Pro subscription.