Why Perplexity Comet Will Become Obsolete: A Candid Look at Moats in AI

Bringing AI into the browser and transforming how we interact with the web is one of the most exciting frontiers today. Perplexity Comet was one of the first attempts to harness this power, enabling users to automate tasks, navigate sites, and get more done with AI as an assistant living inside the browser.

But despite its promise, Comet sits on thin ice. The recent launch of Claude for Chrome, an advanced AI agent from Anthropic, reveals why Comet has no moat and why it is destined to become obsolete.

This is a story with lessons beyond Comet itself about products, markets, and what it takes to survive in an AI-driven world where features are easy but moats are rare.

The New Era of Browser AI: From Passive to Agent

We have long relied on AI assistants to give answers, summarize information, or generate text. However, the true power lies where AI becomes an active agent. It clicks through pages, fills forms, schedules meetings, and searches properties to rent. Suddenly, AI is no longer just a source of information; it is a collaborator inside your daily workflows.

Claude for Chrome is built around this vision. It can navigate websites, interact with content, and perform actions autonomously but safely. This leap opens tons of new value. Imagine not worrying about finding emails to reply to, or manually scheduling rooms for meetings. AI does that for you, right from your browser.

But it also raises a giant red flag. This level of control creates risks around security, privacy, and unintended consequences. Malicious sites can potentially manipulate AI into harmful actions, posing new challenges for trust and safety.

Why Perplexity Comet Does Not Have a Moat

Perplexity Comet showed what was possible early on. However, it lacked the essential building blocks needed to compete long-term once major players entered the space. Here is why:

• Distribution Is Everything. Claude for Chrome comes with the weight of Google’s ecosystem and Anthropic’s backing. Being a browser extension with official Google support gives it unparalleled reach and credibility. Comet, by contrast, was a standalone experiment with limited exposure and no deep integration.
• Trust and Safety Matter More Than Ever. Users will not grant AI unfettered browser control without confidence in its safeguards. Anthropic has emphasized this with a “research preview” phase, explicit permission systems, and user control features. Comet never built this safety-first identity, meaning it struggles to earn user trust.
• Features Are Easily Replicated. At its core, Comet’s browser automation is a feature, not a platform. Features without defensible intellectual property or network effects are quickly cloned by well-resourced competitors. When giants can recreate the same automation with better resources, your feature alone is not enough.
• No Ecosystem or Data Flywheel. Comet never developed a sticky ecosystem of users, workflows, or proprietary data that could help it evolve uniquely or fend off rivals. On the other hand, Claude benefits from real-world testing, user feedback, and the ability to learn safely at scale.

The Harsh Truth About Modern AI Startups

This is a story repeated across the AI startup landscape. The hype around clever demos and innovative features often overshadows an uncomfortable truth: features alone do not make a company defensible or sustainable.

Real moats today mean:

• Deep integration with existing platforms or ecosystems.
• Trusted relationships around privacy and security.
• Unique learning loops or proprietary user workflows.

Without these, startups risk being outpaced and outgunned by incumbents who overlay the same features with scale, trust, and distribution.

What’s Next? Lessons for Founders and Builders

The rise and fall of Comet is more than a cautionary tale. It is a blueprint for what lies ahead in AI-powered productivity.

• Do not confuse a flash-in-the-pan feature for a defensible business.
• Prioritize user trust and safety, not just cool functionality.
• Work on distribution early and think beyond “just launch.”
• Build ecosystems, not one-off tools.

Claude for Chrome is not just a new AI extension. It is the vanguard of a new generation of AI assistants who do not just answer questions; they act on our behalf, safely nestled inside the tools we already rely on.

Perplexity Comet was brave and ahead of its time. But in a world where AI is evolving at breakneck speed, boldness alone does not cut it. Comet has no moat, and for it to endure, that needed to change yesterday.

✍️ Originally written by Harshith Vaddiparthy on 29th August, 2025. A thoughtful farewell to features in the age of AI platforms.