Perplexity CEO Declares Google Search and Chrome Are Facing an AI-Powered Collapse

The End of Google Search? How AI Browsers Like Comet Are Rewriting the Rules 

In a bold 2025 prediction, Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas said, Google Search and Chrome are going to die. He went on to describe how AI-browser technology, like Perplexity's Comet, which weaves in smart agents into web experiences, makes search engines and browsers obsolete. 

With artificial intelligence transforming the future of information access for digitally born users, a broad-based consensus among industry and academic leaders implies Google must adapt, or else its dominance in the space is unsustainable. 

42% of US users now use AI chatbots for search. His claim may not be as much of a stretch as one would think. Is this the beginning of the end of Google's reign?

Comet Sidecar: Redefining Search and Browsing

During a recent interview with The Verge, Srinivas articulated Comet's sidecar assistant, an AI agent integrated into the Chromium-based browser. Unlike existing browsers, Comet can summarize content or articles, compose email responses, schedule meetings, make a purchase, and even more with natural-language commands. 

He noted that Comet's integration provides a new experience for browsing, promoting itself as less of a browser and more of an operating system based on intent.

A single input in Comet could drive multi-component actions and workflows: finding recruiters, scheduling interviews, updating spreadsheets, or writing emails. Srinivas argued those types of workflows eliminate the need for traditional tools like the URL bar in Chrome.

Google's Advertising-Driven Model is Having Trouble

According to Srinivas's report, Google's business model is centered on generating search ad revenue. Google's use of AI and the browsing experience conflicts with ads on the search engine, as AI agents would answer the query directly. This cuts down on click-throughs and impressions, which are the basis for Google's profitability. 

Srinivas further states that Google needs to make a choice: either protect the profits from ads or commit to agentic browsing and sacrifice those profits to earn them back in 5–10 years.

Comet's Momentum: Pre-install Deals and App Reach

Perplexity's momentum is gaining. As Srinivas reported, they are in discussions with large smartphone manufacturers Apple and Samsung, including pre-installing Comet on devices. Chrome has approximately 70% of the mobile browser market, so even minor changes to preference with pre-installed apps could seriously undermine that impressive share.

Internally, Perplexity is also continuing to grow: its Comet beta is now gated to high-value users, but plans for a free tier are under development. The startup now sees around 30 million daily queries and is making plans for usage-based pricing for high net media value options.

Can Google Adapt? The Fight to Come

Google has already been thoughtful in both its AI integrations with things like Gemini and AI-generated summaries. However, Srinivas pointed out that bolt-on AI features will never compete with the full-stack integration of Comet. He described Google as a large, bureaucratic organization that cannot adapt nearly as quickly as the agile team at Perplexity. 

In parallel to these developments, we are also seeing competition, like OpenAI's rumored agentic browser (Mariner), coming in. More critically, evolving behaviors where many more users are starting to skip over search results entirely in favor of AI workflows mean that, one way or another, we are on the verge of a dramatic realignment of how information is accessed—and, in turn, monetized .

A New Internet Era Dawns- With or Without Google 

Aravind Srinivas has expressed a clear warning: the conventional browser and search experience is in existential peril with the emergence of agentic AI browsers, like Comet. What comes next will depend on whether Google becomes a full-fledged AI agent or maintains its traditional, ad-fueled architecture. If this trend develops, we will witness one of the largest transformations in the tech industry since moving from desktop to mobile.