Perplexity chief executive Aravind Srinivas said he is not worried about Big Tech like OpenAI, Google, or Anthropic trying to copy Comet, its new web browser with AI-powered search capabilities, saying it takes time for anyone to build such a product compared to any chat tool and that those companies cannot win at every sector.
“It’s natural when there is a lot of money to be made in a certain sector, people are going to try to copy it, and there is only a limited number of things you can be world-class at, whether it is building great models or building one or two really good products. So, you are obviously not going to win at everything,” he said.
While addressing aspiring entrepreneurs at Y Combinator’s startup batch, he said there is stiff competition in the AI market, and for Big Tech, funding is not an issue.
“Competition is real. Let’s acknowledge that OpenAI is extremely well-funded and doesn’t face the same innovative constraints under the Digital Markets Act (DMA). ChatGPT is their most successful consumer product, which makes it tough to compete directly. That’s why I prefer to focus more on the browser space. I believe Comet, the browser, can become an abstraction layer above chatbots,” he said.
Nvidia-backed Perplexity AI launched Comet earlier this month, as the startup looks to challenge the dominance of market leader Alphabet's Google Chrome.
Comet enables users to ask questions, perform tasks, and conduct research in a single, unified interface. The browser integrates a built-in assistant that can compare products, summarise content, book meetings, and transform complex workflows into simple, conversational experiences.
OpenAI’s entry into browser market
The executive also hinted at OpenAI’s investment in the browser market, which Reuters had also reported a few days ago. The report published on July 9 mentioned that OpenAI is planning to launch an AI-powered web browser, giving stiff competition to Google in a bid to take a slice of Google's ad revenue pie.
“A browser is much harder to replicate than just another chat tool. That said, I’m operating under the assumption that OpenAI will eventually build its own browser too, just like Anthropic,” Srinivas said.
Online criticism for Perplexity
When asked about the online backlash on the products offered by the AI startup, he said comments like “Perplexity is dead,” among others, are always fun to read, adding that the AI sector does not face dominance of one or two big players yet, making it a fair play for startup founders.
“I read that too, and it is always fun. I love it, actually,” he said. “I am really happy that we are competing in a world where monopoly hopefully does not exist, and that creates a more fair ground for everybody,” he added.
“It’s natural when there is a lot of money to be made in a certain sector, people are going to try to copy it, and there is only a limited number of things you can be world-class at, whether it is building great models or building one or two really good products. So, you are obviously not going to win at everything,” he said.
While addressing aspiring entrepreneurs at Y Combinator’s startup batch, he said there is stiff competition in the AI market, and for Big Tech, funding is not an issue.
“Competition is real. Let’s acknowledge that OpenAI is extremely well-funded and doesn’t face the same innovative constraints under the Digital Markets Act (DMA). ChatGPT is their most successful consumer product, which makes it tough to compete directly. That’s why I prefer to focus more on the browser space. I believe Comet, the browser, can become an abstraction layer above chatbots,” he said.
Nvidia-backed Perplexity AI launched Comet earlier this month, as the startup looks to challenge the dominance of market leader Alphabet's Google Chrome.
Comet enables users to ask questions, perform tasks, and conduct research in a single, unified interface. The browser integrates a built-in assistant that can compare products, summarise content, book meetings, and transform complex workflows into simple, conversational experiences.
OpenAI’s entry into browser market
The executive also hinted at OpenAI’s investment in the browser market, which Reuters had also reported a few days ago. The report published on July 9 mentioned that OpenAI is planning to launch an AI-powered web browser, giving stiff competition to Google in a bid to take a slice of Google's ad revenue pie.
“A browser is much harder to replicate than just another chat tool. That said, I’m operating under the assumption that OpenAI will eventually build its own browser too, just like Anthropic,” Srinivas said.
Online criticism for Perplexity
When asked about the online backlash on the products offered by the AI startup, he said comments like “Perplexity is dead,” among others, are always fun to read, adding that the AI sector does not face dominance of one or two big players yet, making it a fair play for startup founders.
“I read that too, and it is always fun. I love it, actually,” he said. “I am really happy that we are competing in a world where monopoly hopefully does not exist, and that creates a more fair ground for everybody,” he added.
