Google is threatened by Perplexity AI because it is actively promoting its AI-powered Comet browser as a preload on smartphones through partnerships with big players in the market.

Nvidia supported Perplexity AI seems ready to confront Google hegemony in mobile search and is making ambitious moves to that end. It did not stop there, though, as the startup is currently negotiating with smartphone manufacturers to preinstall the Comet browser on devices, framing it as a smart assistant instead of a regular browser.

To increase the usage, Srinivas, the CEO, is in talks with the handset manufacturers to make Comet the default web browser or at least pre-install it as an application. This is a similar approach Google took years ago when it bundled Chrome on Android phones, which, to a large extent, gave it a combined mobile browser market share of 94% with Apple today.

Developed using the Chromium engine, Comet has some of the features such as summarizing webpages and scheduling management and email answering, among other features that most browsers lack. The venture is linked to the fact that Google refused to add Comet as an option as a default search engine instead of Chrome on the motor, so Perplexity decided to strike out on its own.

Bloomberg also reported on Perplexity's discussions with Apple and Samsung, likely aimed at adjusting their technology in Siri and Bixby. Apple has gone even further to consider taking over the startup, which is another indication of its increasing relevance in an industry that has been dominated by Google.

The movement of perplexity heralds that the browser and search assistant business is about to undergo a major change to the status quo established by Google.