☄️ Perplexity launches Comet browser for free

Also: OpenAI hits $500B valuation

Author

Evolving AI
October 03, 2025

In partnership with

Welcome, AI enthusiasts

Perplexity’s AI-powered Comet browser is now free for everyone around the world. Once a $200/month perk for top subscribers, Comet is like a built-in personal assistant that can search, manage tabs, draft emails, and even help with shopping. Let’s dive in!

In today’s insights:

  • Perplexity launches Comet browser for free

  • OpenAI hits $500B valuation

  • AI actor sparks Hollywood outrage

Read time: 3 minutes

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

Evolving AI: Perplexity makes its AI-powered Comet browser free for all users worldwide.

Key Points:

  • Comet was first limited to $200/month subscribers but is now free.

  • Competes with Google, OpenAI and Anthropic’s AI browser agents.

  • Comet Plus offers premium content access from major publishers.

Details:

Perplexity AI has rolled out its Comet browser globally at no cost. The browser acts as a personal assistant, able to search, organize tabs, draft emails, shop and more. Originally reserved for $200/month Max subscribers, Comet quickly attracted a waitlist of millions. Now available for free, it positions Perplexity against rivals like Google’s Gemini in Chrome, OpenAI’s Operator and Anthropic’s browser agents. Perplexity has also partnered with CNN, Condé Nast, The Washington Post and others through Comet Plus, offering access to premium journalism. A mobile version and Background Assistant feature are on the way.

Comet is available for download here →

Why It Matters:

By removing the price tag, Perplexity instantly shifts Comet into mass adoption territory: organized research, clean summaries with links, quick product comparisons and bookings without tab chaos. Comet Plus pulls trusted reporting into that flow, while Background Assistant handles tasks in parallel. Google is wiring Gemini into Chrome, Anthropic is piloting Claude for Chrome, OpenAI has Operator, meaning the browser is the new fight for attention and distribution. Try these side by side and see which agent actually saves you clicks this week.

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Source: REUTERS / Dado Ruvic

Evolving AI: Employees sold $6.6B in shares, lifting OpenAI’s valuation from $300B to $500B

Key Points:

  • Employees sold $6.6B in shares, lifting OpenAI’s valuation from $300B to $500B.

  • Investors included SoftBank, Thrive Capital, Dragoneer, MGX and T. Rowe Price.

  • OpenAI generated $4.3B in revenue in H1 2025, already surpassing 2024.

Details:

OpenAI’s valuation leap comes after employees and ex-employees sold $6.6 billion worth of stock to a group of major investors, led by SoftBank and others. The company had approved over $10 billion in secondary sales, marking one of the largest deals of its kind. OpenAI’s strong revenue growth (up 16% in just half a year) signals growing demand for its products as competition intensifies for AI talent and infrastructure.

Why It Matters:

At a $500B price, investors are basically saying OpenAI has the cash and conviction to keep scaling compute and hiring, which means faster features and steadier capacity for anyone building on its API. The employee sale gives folks liquidity and makes it easier to keep them from jumping to rivals like Meta. If your roadmap leans on ChatGPT, treat this as permission to move pilots into production and sign multiyear deals.

“Tilly Norwood” Source: Peter Mountain / Netflix

Evolving AI: An AI-generated actress named Tilly Norwood has angered Hollywood stars and unions.

Key Points:

  • Dutch creators launched Tilly Norwood, a synthetic performer styled as a rising actress.

  • SAG-AFTRA and actors like Emily Blunt, Natasha Lyonne, and Whoopi Goldberg condemned it.

  • The creator insists Norwood is art, not a replacement for humans.

Details:

Tilly Norwood, an AI-made performer from Dutch comedian Eline Van der Velden, is styled online as a young actress with comedy sketches, photo shoots, and spoof ads. While her creator calls her a creative project, Hollywood unions and stars argue she threatens real jobs. SAG-AFTRA warned agencies that working with Norwood could breach protections won during the 2023 strike. Public backlash intensified after Van der Velden revealed plans for an AI talent agency and teased future studio projects.

Why It Matters:

Short term, studios and brands can test AI faces in safer lanes like previz, ADR temp, and regional ad tweaks, but anything public and union covered invites fights, contract flags, and boycotts. Agents risk losing clients, productions risk shutdowns, and ad partners risk PR blowback. If you plan to experiment, set a policy now: provenance logs for training data, consent and likeness clearances, union carve‑outs, on‑screen labels, and an approval path that loops in legal and comms. Audience trust is fragile, with marquee names already pushing back. Worth the savings if your campaign becomes the headline?

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