Perplexity AI’s New Browser Collects User Data for Advertising Purposes, Raises Privacy Concerns

• Perplexity AI’s upcoming proprietary browser harvests browsing and shopping user habits and types of consumed content.
• The AI tool will leverage such data to build user profiles and optimize its targeted advertising platform, Discover Feed.
• Collecting granular details on user behaviors beyond standard search queries could deepen concerns surrounding surveillance capitalism.

Perplexity AI, an artificial intelligence-powered search engine launched in 2022, will soon be accompanied by a proprietary browser, Comet, which should be released next month. This move raises questions around user privacy and data collection.  

On a recent podcast, CEO Aravind Srinivas said the browser is designed to gather more contextual information about users' online activities. This includes tracking what users browse, where they shop, and the type of content they consume.  

Srinivas openly admitted that such data will allow Perplexity AI to build user profiles and optimize its Discover Feed, an advertising platform that tailors targeted promotions based on individual behaviors. 

According to Srinivas, this additional layer of personalization is meant to help improve user interactions and expand the company's relevance in users' everyday lives.  

Privacy concerns with new technologies are nothing new. However, the degree of data harvesting openly pursued by Perplexity AI signals a growing trend that underscores an uncomfortable reality about how some companies approach user data.  

Comet sets itself apart with its focus on leveraging extensive user data to personalize experiences. 

The data collected by Comet won’t just guide its AI to deliver better results or services for end-users; it will also feed it directly into advertising practices, enabling a higher degree of targeting as part of its revenue model.  

While Srinivas’ transparency about collecting data might, in part, be refreshing, it also underscores the relative disregard many tech companies display when it comes to discussing the implications of their strategies.  

Instances like this are reminiscent of controversies seen with tech giants like Apple and Meta. Apple's Siri was criticized for unintentionally recording sensitive details, while Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses raised alarms regarding inconspicuous data collection. 

Much like those examples, Comet blurs boundaries about what is considered acceptable data gathering, leaving consumers to question how much control they truly retain over their online lives. 

Perplexity AI operates under a freemium model, offering a basic search engine experience and premium access to advanced AI tools derived from partnerships with other AI leaders like ChatGPT and Anthropic.