OpenAI will launch a browser, Perplexity has just released Comet, and YouTubers are going full clickbait mode: “NEW AI Browser is INSANE!🤯”
(Really? It’s insane to chat with tabs? That word gets used pretty liberally these days, considering it’s AI-bros getting excited about summarizing five YouTube videos simultaneously while doing important thought leadership. Anyhow.)
The browser wars are back, apparently. Except this time, instead of fighting over who can load pages faster, AI companies are fighting over who gets to be the middleman between us and everything we do online. They want to force a shift from browsers as passive viewing tools to agents that can take actions on your behalf.
It makes sense: AI can be more helpful when it has access to our data and can plug into software. And where do we access all of this? Exactly. If you own the browser, your AI has access to everything that was off-limits before: Comet (or whatever comes next) can search through emails and add stuff to shopping carts.
AI browsers can circumvent negotiations with platforms that are less likely to happily hand over the keys. They can circumvent IT departments that do not want internal data and software plugged into a chatbot in the cloud.
AI browsers do not need to circumvent robots.txt. When a user logs into a paywalled site, the AI has access to content that would normally be blocked. Conveniently, if you switch from Chrome to Comet, all your logins, bookmarks, and extensions are already there.
Wait a second: Chatting with tabs might seem convenient, but we’re giving an algorithm the keys to your entire digital existence. This centralization creates an opportunity for data collection that goes beyond tracking. It’s about everything: your tabs, your docs, your internal comms, your research—your entire digital workflow, filtered, analyzed, and monetized. “AI wants the ad dollars too”, Digiday writes.
For AI companies, the browser isn’t just a window. It’s a siphon. Even without using your data for model training, they gain a new layer of leverage over your digital life. You save a few copy-paste steps. They lock you deeper into their ecosystem.
But I’m sure there’s a line between “helpful AI” and “surveillance as a service”, and we’re here to learn and find out. If you don’t want to spend $200 for Perplexity Max to get early access to Comet, there are some alternatives to experience AI browsing:
- Dia from The Browser Company (Not as agentic, and I’m not convinced yet. But: I have 5 invites, hit me up!)
- BrowserOS (Open Source browser with backing from Y Combinator)
