AI Companies Say They Can Browse the Web for You — We Tested Two to See If They Deliver

As AI continues to reshape how we interact with technology, a new wave of tools promises to browse the web on behalf of users, delivering curated insights with minimal effort. Companies like Perplexity and xAI claim their AI systems—Perplexity Comet and xAI’s Grok 3 with DeepSearch mode—can navigate the internet, summarize content, and answer complex queries in real time. We put these claims to the test, evaluating their performance across practical tasks to see if they live up to the hype.

The Contenders: Comet and Grok 3 DeepSearch

Perplexity Comet, launched in July 2025, is an AI-powered web browser that integrates generative AI to summarize articles, answer questions, and perform web-based tasks. It leverages multiple search engines to provide up-to-date information, positioning itself as a competitor to Google’s Chrome and Apple’s Safari.

xAI’s Grok 3, accessible via x.com and the Grok mobile apps, introduced its DeepSearch mode in 2025, allowing iterative web searches to deliver comprehensive answers. Unlike Comet, Grok 3 operates within X’s ecosystem, prioritizing real-time data from posts and web sources. While Grok 3’s free plan has usage limits, its DeepSearch mode, activated via a dedicated UI button, aims to rival dedicated browsers.

The Test Setup

We tested Comet and Grok 3 DeepSearch on three tasks: summarizing a 20-minute YouTube video, finding recent news on a specific topic (EU AI regulations), and answering a complex question requiring cross-referencing (e.g., “What are the latest AI chip advancements from Huawei and Nvidia?”). Each task was evaluated for accuracy, speed, and ease of use, with tests conducted on August 1, 2025.

Test 1: Video Summarization

Task: Summarize a 20-minute YouTube video on sustainable energy trends.

• Comet: Using its browser interface, Comet accessed the video, processed its transcript, and delivered a concise 200-word summary in 12 seconds. The summary captured key points, including solar panel efficiency and wind turbine innovations, but missed a minor segment on geothermal energy. Accuracy was high, though the interface required manual URL input, which felt clunky.
• Grok 3 DeepSearch: Grok 3, accessed via the X app, required a prompt with the video URL. It produced a 150-word summary in 15 seconds, covering major points but omitting specific data on wind turbine costs. The conversational format was intuitive, but the summary was slightly less detailed than Comet’s.

Verdict: Comet edged out Grok 3 for detail and speed, but both performed well, with minor gaps in coverage.

Test 2: News Aggregation

Task: Find and summarize recent news on EU AI regulations.

• Comet: Comet scanned news sites and delivered a 300-word summary in 10 seconds, citing sources like Reuters and TechCrunch. It accurately highlighted the EU’s AI Code of Practice, signed by 26 companies, and noted Meta’s absence due to legal concerns. The browser’s clean interface made source verification easy.
• Grok 3 DeepSearch: Grok 3 pulled data from X posts and web sources, producing a 250-word summary in 18 seconds. It covered the same EU AI Code but included user sentiments from X, adding context on public reactions. However, it missed a key detail about enforcement timelines, and navigating to sources was less seamless than Comet.

Verdict: Comet provided a more polished summary with better source transparency, while Grok 3’s inclusion of social media perspectives added unique value but sacrificed some precision.

Test 3: Complex Query

Task: Compare recent AI chip advancements from Huawei and Nvidia.

• Comet: In 14 seconds, Comet synthesized data from tech blogs and press releases, comparing Huawei’s CloudMatrix 384 (300 PFLOPs, 559 kW) with Nvidia’s GB200 NVL72 (180 PFLOPs, 145 kW). It highlighted Huawei’s superior compute power but Nvidia’s better efficiency. The response was clear, with clickable source links for verification.
• Grok 3 DeepSearch: Grok 3 took 20 seconds to deliver a detailed comparison, drawing from X posts and web articles. It noted Huawei’s optical mesh network and Nvidia’s NVLink but incorrectly stated CloudMatrix’s power consumption as 500 kW. The conversational tone was engaging, but source attribution was less direct.

Verdict: Comet was faster and more accurate, while Grok 3’s conversational style was user-friendly but prone to minor errors.

The Bigger Picture

Both tools demonstrate AI’s potential to streamline web browsing, but they have distinct strengths. Comet excels in speed and source transparency, making it ideal for users who value precision and a browser-like experience. Grok 3 DeepSearch shines in conversational engagement and leveraging X’s real-time data, appealing to users seeking broader context, though it occasionally sacrifices accuracy for narrative.

However, neither tool is flawless. Comet’s manual input requirements can feel cumbersome, and Grok 3’s reliance on X posts sometimes introduces noise or outdated information. Privacy concerns also linger—Comet’s data handling is less transparent, while Grok 3’s integration with X raises questions about user tracking.

Conclusion

AI-powered web browsing is no longer a futuristic promise—it’s here, and it works, albeit with room for improvement. Perplexity Comet is the stronger choice for research-heavy tasks, offering speed and clarity, while xAI’s Grok 3 DeepSearch suits users who prefer a conversational assistant with social media insights. As these tools evolve, they could redefine how we navigate the web, but users should remain vigilant about accuracy and data privacy.