The AI Briefing

Tom Barber: 00:01

Hi, everyone. Welcome to the AI briefing, short snippets of AI news and insights to cut through the noise. So 2025 has given us something wild, a full blown AI browser war. And I'm not talking about Chrome adding a chatbot. I mean, two massive AI company companies, Perplexity and OpenAI, building entirely new browsers from the ground up.

Tom Barber: 00:24

This could completely change how we use the Internet. So let's break it down. First up, Perplexity's Comet. This dropped in July initially for a $200 a month subscription, but then went totally free for everyone in October 2. And here's what makes Comet special.

Tom Barber: 00:40

It's built for research. Instead of googling something and getting 10 blue links, Comet gives you answers with citations right there in the browser. It's got this AI sidebar bar called the comment assistant that understands whatever page you're on. It can summarize articles, YouTube videos, even your emails. You can highlight any text and instantly get explanations without leaving the page.

Tom Barber: 01:02

But here's where it gets really interesting. Comet has autonomous agents. These things can actually navigate websites for you, compare prices across multiple stores, fill out forms, even book flights, and you can choose which AI model you want. GPT four, GPT five, Claw, Gemini, whatever fits your needs. It's like having a research assistant built into your browser.

Tom Barber: 01:25

Then on October 21, OpenAI fires back with Atlas. Now this is ChatGPT but as a browser. It currently, I believe is OSX only. Their Windows and mobile versions are coming soon. Atlas takes on a different approach.

Tom Barber: 01:41

Instead of research first, it's all about automation and getting stuff done. And this feature is called agent mode. And yes, that's a paid feature where ChatGPT can literally take control and complete tasks for you. We're talking booking appointments, creating shopping carts, planning entire trips, all autonomously. The coolest or maybe the creepiest, depending on your perspective, feature is browser memories.

Tom Barber: 02:09

Atlas can remember what sites you visited across different sessions, so you can ask it something like, find all those job postings I looked at last week, and it actually knows. The memories delete after thirty days and you can turn this off, but it's a glimpse into how personalized these browsers can get, plus all the data on you they're mining. So what's the actual difference? Think of it this way. Comet says, let me help you understand that better.

Tom Barber: 02:34

Well, Atlas says, let me do that for you. Comet is faster for research and gives you citations and works across all platforms now. Atlas is deeper into task automation but only on Mac and the best features require ChatGPT plus subscription. But here's the bigger picture. Why are all these AI companies even building browsers?

Tom Barber: 02:54

Three reasons. First, data control. The browser is where your entire digital life happens and that data is gold for trading AI. Second, they're directly challenging Google's stranglehold on web traffic. And third, they generally believe AI changes browsing from navigation to delegation and you're not searching anymore.

Tom Barber: 03:14

You're asking and letting AI handle it. Now should you switch? Well, there are some real concerns. Both browsers need access to basically everything you do online, your emails, your calendar, browsing history. Security researchers have already found vulnerabilities where malicious websites can trick the AI, and there are privacy questions about how all that data gets used.

Tom Barber: 03:38

But if you're curious, Comet is free and works on Windows and Mac and it's easier to try. Atlas requires more buy in with the Apple ecosystem and paid features. What's clear is this. The browser wars are back and this time they're powered by AI. Whether these become mainstream or stay niche tools to power users, we're witnessing the biggest shift in how we browse the web in thirty years.

Tom Barber: 04:00

What do you think? Would you trust an AI to browse for you? Let me know in the comments. And if you wanted me to do a deeper dive into either of these browsers, say the word! Catch you in the next one!