July 18 (Reuters) - Nvidia ( NVDA )-backed Perplexity AI, the

startup challenging Google with its AI-powered search

engine, is in discussions with mobile device makers to

pre-install its new Comet browser on smartphones, CEO Aravind

Srinivas told Reuters on Friday.

The move could significantly boost Perplexity's reach by

capitalizing on browser "stickiness", where users tend to stick

with browser apps that are pre-installed or set as default on

their devices, potentially driving habitual use of the company's

AI tools.

"It's not easy to convince mobile OEMs to change the default

browser to Comet from Chrome," Srinivas said, referring to

original equipment manufacturers and highlighting the challenge

of user inertia on mobile platforms.

Comet, currently in beta and available only on desktops,

integrates Perplexity's AI directly into web browsing, allowing

users to ask questions about personal data like emails,

calendars, or browsing history, and even perform tasks such as

scheduling meetings or summarizing webpages.

Perplexity aims to target "tens to hundreds of millions" of

users next year after stabilizing the desktop version for a few

hundred thousand initial testers, Srinivas said.

Its efforts reflect a broader industry shift toward browsers

with agentic AI capabilities, ones that need minimal human

intervention to make decisions and achieve specific tasks.

Reuters reported earlier this month that OpenAI is

developing its own agentic AI browser, which could automate

complex tasks such as booking travel or managing finances.

As of last month, Google's Chrome had a market share of

about 70% in mobile devices, while Apple's ( AAPL ) Safari and Samsung's

browsers together commanding another 24%, according to

Statcounter data.

Bloomberg News reported in June that Perplexity was in talks

with Samsung Electronics ( SSNLF ) and Apple ( AAPL ) to

integrate its AI search capabilities into their devices,

potentially enhancing assistants like Bixby or Siri.

Perplexity has completed a $500 million investment round,

which valued it at $14 billion earlier this year. Its investors

include Accel, Nvidia ( NVDA ), Jeff Bezos and former Google CEO

Eric Schmidt.