Aravind Srinivas says Comet update now lets you control how the AI works on your behalf: How it works

Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas has highlighted a significant set of upgrades to the company’s Comet Assistant, emphasising stronger user control and safer decision-making for web-based tasks. Sharing the update on Saturday, Srinivas said the improvements make it easier for people to see when the browser agent is active, understand what it is doing, and decide how it should operate on their behalf.

What are the updates to Comet browser?

In a recent blog, the company explained its update to users, offering a clearer view of Comet’s behaviour. The assistant now displays exactly when it is browsing, where it is clicking or scrolling, and which steps it is taking to reach an answer. A sidecar panel allows users to follow Comet’s reasoning or watch its actions unfold in real time.

Perplexity says users choose when Comet takes charge

Perplexity has also refined how and when the assistant takes control of a task. When a user types a query in the omnibar or search, Comet may ask whether it should handle the task autonomously. People can choose to browse manually, allow the assistant to act once, or grant ongoing permission for Comet to assist automatically. The company says this design ensures users stay in charge while still benefiting from the assistant’s speed and autonomy.

How can Comet manage risks?

The update strengthens Comet’s judgement for tasks that carry higher risks. When the assistant encounters steps such as logging in to an account or making a purchase, it will stop and ask for explicit permission before proceeding.
Perplexity says this mirrors a responsible human assistant, who would know when a decision is too important to take unilaterally.

The company frames the enhancements as part of a broader push to create dependable, transparent assistants across its ecosystem, including Deep Research, Labs, Email Assistant and Background Assistants. By prioritising visibility, personal choice and careful decision making, Perplexity believes Comet Assistant will help shift users from asking what the assistant can do to deciding what they want it to achieve.

What is the vision of Perplexity AI?

Perplexity explained that the Comet Assistant has quickly become one of its most widely used tools, prompting the company to outline the principles guiding its AI assistant strategy.