At its August 2025 “Made by Google” showcase, the spotlight wasn’t stolen by flashy new hardware. Instead, Google leaned into AI as the soul of its innovations. The Pixel 10 launch marked a clear strategic shift—a point where AI is no longer a supplement to hardware; it’s the star. AI Comes First, Hardware Takes a Back Seat Rather than unveiling radically new hardware, Google focused on how its latest AI—particularly Gemini—is transforming user experiences. From proactive assistance and real‑time translation to photography coaching, AI shapes the essence of the latest Pixel offerings. Hardware improvements, by comparison, were modest and largely incremental. Rick Osterloh, Google’s head of Devices and Services, quipped at the event, “There has been a lot of hype about … AI in phones … but Gemini is the real deal,” signaling Google’s intent to differentiate not on silicon alone, but on intelligence-backed functionality. Intelligence That Understands You Google envisions a shift from reactive to proactive devices. Their aim: your phone anticipates your needs—suggesting timely information, guiding better photos, or filtering spam—rather than simply responding to commands. This is a striking reimagining of the smartphone: turning it from a passive tool into an intelligent companion. Celebrity, Storytelling & AI’s Consumer Appeal The Pixel rollout wasn’t just about features—it was a cultural moment. Hosted by Jimmy Fallon and spotlighting the Jonas Brothers, Google leaned into storytelling and celebrity to bring AI to life for mainstream consumers. AI isn’t just technical; it’s part of the daily narrative. This aligns with Google’s broader marketing, aiming to reposition Pixel not as niche tech, but lifestyle-defining. Google vs. Apple: The AI Advantage This AI-centric strategy couldn’t be better timed. Apple, often seen as the hardware trendsetter, has stumbled in delivering on its AI ambitions. In contrast, Google is flooding the Pixel ecosystem with tangible, usable AI features. Industry analysts suggest this could be a pivotal moment—one that might coax some users to reconsider the iPhone’s dominance. The Underlying Mechanics: Gemini & AI Integration Gemini, Google’s large‑language AI model, emerged as the linchpin of this AI push. Used both in the new Pixel phones and behind features like Magic Cue (which anticipates user actions) and Camera Coach (which offers live photo-taking guidance), Gemini transforms user interactions into intelligent, predictive experiences. By injecting AI deeply into user flows, Google is building devices that understand context, intent, and need. Why This Shift Matters Conclusion Google’s Pixel 10 launch isn’t merely an iteration—it’s emblematic of a bigger shift. AI is no longer a feature—it’s the foundation. In emphasizing Gemini and intelligent experiences over jaw-dropping hardware, Google is redefining what the future of mobile should look like: one driven by understanding, anticipation, and context.
In a brazen move that reads like a tech drama script, Perplexity AI—a scrappy three-year-old startup—has made an unsolicited $34.5 billion all-cash offer to buy Google’s Chrome browser. Positioned at the intersection of antitrust theater and AI-powered ambition, this audacious bid could reshape the balance of power in the search and browser wars. A Surprise That Demands a Spotlight On August 12, 2025, Perplexity AI stunned Silicon Valley—and the world—with a formal, all-cash offer of $34.5 billion to acquire Chrome, the world’s most widely used browser. The proposal, reportedly backed by major venture investors, nearly doubles the startup’s own valuation of approximately $18 billion. This isn’t just business—it’s bold marketing framed as high-stakes strategy. Industry watchers note the bid is a high-visibility gambit hinging on Google’s antitrust woes, and even admit, “Chrome isn’t actually for sale.” Brewing Antitrust Backdrop The offer arrives amid intensifying legal pressure on Google, which was found by U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta to hold an illegal monopoly in search. Remedies for this ruling may include forcing Google to divest tools like Chrome. Perplexity positions its proposal as a credible public-interest solution—offering to operate Chrome independently, invest $3 billion, preserve most staff, keep Chromium open-source, and maintain Google as the default search engine. Despite the pitch’s boldness, insiders cast doubt on its seriousness. A source familiar with Alphabet’s internal discussions said the offer is not being treated as a credible takeover bid. Perplexity: From Startup to Stage Center But what is Perplexity AI? Founded in 2022 by a team including Aravind Srinivas and others, Perplexity is an AI-powered search engine that delivers conversational answers and cites its sources. By mid-2025, it had processed some 780 million queries per month and served around 30 million users. The company counts high-profile investors such as SoftBank, Nvidia, and Jeff Bezos among its backers. The bid for Chrome arrives in a flurry of high-profile gestures—Perplexity had earlier attempted a $50 billion offer for TikTok, another move perceived as more signal than substance. Internet Reacts: Marketing Marvel or Madcap? Public reaction was swift and overwhelmingly incredulous. The offer trended across social media, drawing both mockery and admiration. “Perplexity—valued at $18 billion—wants to buy Chrome for $34.5 billion. Aura farming at its peak.”“God give me half the confidence of Perplexity trying to buy Chrome.”“These clowns bid for literally everything … they do it just to get attention.” Still, some analysts see a method in the madness. Positioning itself as a credible acquirer if Chrome must be sold, Perplexity bolsters its relevance in the AI-search race even if the bid never materializes. Stakes and Implications: What’s on the Table If Chrome were forced to divest, acquiring it could instantly catapult a company into the browser elite. Chrome boasts over three billion users worldwide—securing it could fast-track any rival’s rise. Perplexity understands this. The bid includes promises to invest $3 billion over two years, retain staff, and keep the browser grounded in open source, which helps convey legitimacy. Yet skeptics note the valuation mismatch: Perplexity, at $18 billion valuation, offering nearly double that to buy Chrome, raises questions about financial feasibility. Still, this may be as much about signaling capability and ambition as it is about acquiring assets. Looking Ahead: Chrome, Competition, and Curveballs Could this bid change the game? If federal antitrust remedies force Google’s hand, it might open unprecedented opportunities. Perplexity’s forward-leaning positioning gives it a seat at the table—even if Chrome never changes ownership. Other players like OpenAI are mentioned as plausible bidders in the event of a divestiture. At the same time, Perplexity’s own Comet browser, launched through a Chromium base, hints at longer-term ambitions to challenge incumbents directly. However, Google is appealing, and any final verdict or breakup could take years to resolve. Until then, Perplexity’s bid stands as an audacious blend of PR spectacle and strategic positioning. Final Thoughts Perplexity’s $34.5 billion bid for Chrome is best understood not as a straightforward acquisition attempt, but as a high-stakes gambit: part challenge, part marketing manifesto, part invitation to regulators and rivals alike. Whether it’s a serious proposal or a calculated signal, one thing is certain: the move has amplified the conversation around AI, search, competition, and the future of the Chrome browser. Stay tuned—because in tech, the most dramatic story may not pitch its climax until years later.
How a familiar search engine is becoming an AI-powered concierge. A New Chapter for Search Google is quietly revolutionizing the way we explore the web. As of late July 2025, UK users are starting to see “AI Mode” pop up in their Google Search experience—a configuration poised to reshape how answers are delivered, curated, and consumed. From Queries to Conversations At its core, AI Mode transforms a traditional keyword‑based interface into a conversational assistant. Whether you type “best hiking trails UK” or “symptoms of seasonal allergies,” the mode aims to deliver not just blue‑link results but context‑aware responses, summaries, and follow‑up suggestions—effectively turning search sessions into guided threads. According to early reports by BBC News, the rollout is starting in the UK ahead of wider availability globally. What Sets It Apart Google has experimented with AI responses before, such as featured snippets and autocomplete. But AI Mode goes further. It synthesizes disparate sources into coherent summaries, detects nuances in follow‑up intent, and adjusts based on conversational flow. In effect, it aspires to blur the line between assistant and encyclopaedia. Although Google has equipped this feature with safeguards to avoid misinformation, technology watchers are emphasizing the importance of continued vetting and transparency. Challenges and Skepticism While Google’s ambition to harness AI for richer search makes sense in principle, it also raises concerns. Previous experiments with AI summarization have occasionally introduced hallucinations—facts that sound plausible but are fabricated. Institutions including BBC News have previously reported how mainstream AI assistants sometimes mislead users, especially on nuanced or controversial topics. Trust in source attribution, handling of bias, and consistent accuracy remain critical guardrails for AI Mode’s success. Broader Context: Google’s AI Expansion This launch comes amid Google’s broader push to integrate artificial intelligence across all products. Earlier in 2025, Google introduced generative features across Maps, Business Profiles, and even ad platforms. It indicates a strategic shift from search engine to AI-powered information platform, and AI Mode is perhaps the most visible manifestation of that evolution to date. A UK-First Debut Why the UK? Rolling out new capacities in a single country allows Google to monitor performance, calibrate user feedback, and refine algorithms before scaling globally. Users in the UK will likely see AI Mode appear as a toggle or an invitation in search results, initially offered to samples of users before widening access. What Users Might Experience In practice, users may find their search sessions feel more conversational. Start with a question about cooking pasta, then ask: “What wine pairs best?” or “Are there vegan alternatives?” With AI Mode, Google may instantly supply suggestions within the same dialogue, minimizing the need to refine queries manually. As the user explores, responses may shorten or lengthen accordingly—providing both quick facts and deeper dives without rewriting the query. Looking Ahead As this feature rolls out more widely, Google faces a dual imperative: deliver relevant, intelligent responses while maintaining its reputation for accuracy and impartiality. The stakes are high: a misstep could erode trust not only in this feature, but also in Google’s search integrity overall. Yet, for users, the promise is compelling: a search that feels more intuitive, responsive, and efficient. For its part, Google will likely evolve AI Mode quickly, embedding it into the core user experience while expanding its capabilities. Final Thought AI Mode marks the latest frontier in Google’s decades‑long quest to better understand intent and deliver satisfying answers. In the UK, that journey is now fully underway—and the results may redefine search itself in the months to come.
In a digital age where efficiency often trumps depth, Google’s AI‑generated search overviews are rewriting the rules of online news consumption—and not in favor of traditional publishers. A recent study, sparked by reporting in The Guardian, reveals an alarming decline in click-through rates, raising existential questions about the future of independent journalism. AI Summaries Stealing Clicks from Original Content The Guardian reports that analytics firm Authoritas found news sites previously ranking first for search queries lost nearly 79% of their traffic when their link appeared beneath Google’s AI Overviews. In parallel, a Pew Research Center study of nearly 69,000 Google searches in March 2025 found that links under AI-generated summaries were followed only 1% of the time—once every 100 searches. These findings suggest Google’s AI snippets are not merely reshaping search—they’re increasingly rendering publisher content invisible in user flows. The Numbers Behind the Decline Pew’s analysis revealed stark shifts: only 8% of users encountering AI summaries clicked a traditional search result, compared to 15% when no summary was shown. Meanwhile, 26% of search sessions ended without further browsing when an AI summary appeared, versus just 16% otherwise. Authoritas’ analytics confirmed dramatic reductions in clickthroughs on both desktop and mobile. MailOnline reported declines of 56.1% on desktop and 48.2% on mobile for searches accompanied by AI summaries. Publishers Push Back—Legally and Strategically These mounting losses have prompted legal action. A coalition including the Independent Publishers Alliance, Foxglove, and the Movement for an Open Web filed antitrust complaints with the UK Competition and Markets Authority, arguing that Google is unfairly repurposing publishers’ content and keeping users within its ecosystem. At the same time, publishers are scrambling to adapt—experimenting with paywalls, micro‑payments, newsletter pushes, and even optimizing formats for AI ingestion. But many fear that such measures can’t fully replace the lost ad revenue driven by organic search traffic. What This Means for Journalism—and Digital Culture The consequences are much more than financial. Critics warn that reduced traffic threatens not only the survival of independent outlets but also the diversity and credibility of news available online. It risks accelerating what’s known as “news deserts,” where local and investigative journalism withers for lack of support. There’s also mounting concern over misinformation: as audiences increasingly rely on AI summaries, the margin for nuance shrinks. If publishers collapse and content disappears, the AI systems that depend on human‑generated journalism may eventually lack the rich material they need to provide trustworthy summaries—producing a feedback loop that impoverishes the digital information ecosystem. Google’s Defense—and the Content Crisis It Deepens Google disputes the findings, calling the study methodologically flawed and unrepresentative of broader search behavior. The company argues that AI Overviews enable more queries, greater user engagement, and new discovery paths—and that overall web traffic remains steady despite shifting patterns. Yet large publishers say access to Google’s internal data has been limited, making it difficult to fully assess the trends. Without transparency, their fears may deepen as AI Overviews become more prevalent. Looking Ahead: Options for Survival Strategies for publishers include forging licensing agreements, demanding fair compensation for use in AI tools, and diversifying revenue through memberships, events, or unique premium products. Legislative and regulatory reforms are also being considered to safeguard copyright and prevent monopolistic platform behavior. At stake is not merely clicks and ad dollars—but the broader health of public discourse. As AI transforms search, the relationship between user needs, platform power, and journalism’s viability is in flux. Whether independent news can weather this shift—or whether the AI era lays up a new set of gatekeepers—may well determine the character of online information for years to come. Summary Google’s AI Overviews are increasingly enabling users to bypass original news content altogether—leading to losses of up to 79% in click‑through traffic, crippling ad‑based revenue, and pressuring publishers to adapt or perish. Despite Google’s pushback, legal action is underway, and the stakes extend far beyond economics, raising profound questions about the sustainability of independent journalism in an AI‑driven era.
At first glance, Gemini 2.5 Flash‑Lite may look like yet another variant in Google’s expanding AI lineup. But beneath its modest name lies a strategically engineered powerhouse designed to balance sophistication with cost-efficiency. Google’s latest release isn’t just about raw processing—it’s about delivering maximum value per token and making powerful AI accessible at scale. A New Era of Efficient AI Innovation On July 22, 2025, Google officially released Gemini 2.5 Flash‑Lite as a stable product following a month‑long preview. As the culmination of the 2.5 model series, Flash‑Lite is engineered to be the fastest, most cost-efficient engine in Google’s offering. It targets developers and organizations that demand advanced capabilities—such as coding, reasoning, multimodal understanding, and math—but at a fraction of traditional API costs. What sets Flash‑Lite apart is not only its speed and frugality, but its polished quality. Despite being “lite,” it retains Google’s advanced thinking controls, meaning it can reason through complex tasks without overspending budget. Performance That Surpasses Expectations A recent benchmark evaluation found Flash‑Lite processing 471 tokens per second, outpacing Gemini 2.5 Flash reasoning (309 tok/sec), xAI’s Grok 3 Mini (202), Meta’s Llama 4 Maverick (168), and several OpenAI models. The model’s Agile and responsive performance positions it as a leading candidate for real-time applications—translation, classification, diagnostic tools, and interactive chatbots. Perhaps more remarkable is Flash‑Lite’s pricing. At just $0.10 per million input tokens and $0.40 for output, it dramatically undercuts its siblings: Gemini 2.5 Flash ($0.15/0.50), Pro ($2.50/10), and many competitors—OpenAI’s o4‑mini (high) is $1.10/4.40. This cost efficiency challenges conventional trade‑offs between speed, smarts, and spend. Beyond cost, Flash‑Lite scored 46 on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index—outperforming OpenAI’s GPT‑4o (41), and while trailing Flash (65) and Pro (70), still delivering impressive quality for its class. Use Cases That Prove Its Worth Real‑world usage echoes this balanced design. Satlyt, a satellite‑diagnostics platform, cut onboard latency by 30 percent and slashed power requirements by the same margin using Flash‑Lite. For an AI system operating on moving platforms or low‑power devices, these gains are transformative. HeyGen, a video translation service, deployed Flash‑Lite to translate content into over 180 languages efficiently. Meanwhile, companies like DocsHound and Evertune incorporated the model to speed up video processing and generate analytical reports. These examples demonstrate that Flash‑Lite isn’t a stripped‑down AI; it’s a powerful yet compact solution crafted for developers who require high performance within practical budget boundaries. Aligning Intelligence with Affordability Flash‑Lite is precisely what its name promises—“intelligence per dollar.” Community discussions echo this sentiment, with one user noting that the model “is designed to provide an intelligence‑per‑dollar value proposition—meaning you get more bang for your buck.” This community recognition highlights the model’s strategic positioning in an industry often dominated by all‑out, high‑expense AI solutions. By delivering near‑state‑of‑the‑art reasoning and multimodal abilities at a budget fraction, Flash‑Lite democratizes advanced AI access—empowering startups, independent developers, and non‑profits. Flash‑Lite and the Broader Gemini 2.5 Vision Flash‑Lite isn’t alone in the Gemini 2.5 family. Google launched Flashes, Pro, and Flash‑Lite as part of a tiered suite designed to meet diverse developer needs. Here’s how they compare: All variants support multimodal processing—handling text, code, audio, images, even video—and deliver token‑wise efficiency. However, only Flash and Pro offer developer tools like “thinking budgets,” thought summaries, native audio, and enhanced tool use. Flash‑Lite includes core thinking capabilities but may lack those premium features. The Smart Budgetary Choice Flash‑Lite’s pricing positions it as a serious competitor. At $0.50 for a round trip million tokens, it costs roughly 20 percent of Flash and a mere 4 percent of Pro. Multiply that across the millions of tokens used in large-scale services—translation apps, enterprise chatbots, real-time analytics—and the savings compound dramatically. Yet Google doesn’t compromise capability. Flash‑Lite supports 1 million token contexts, reasoning, multimodal comprehension, and is integrated via AI Studio and Vertex AI. It lets developers scale without scaling costs—truly delivering intelligence per dollar. Ecosystem Integration: Built for Scale Flash‑Lite is not standalone—it fits into Google’s expansive AI ecosystem. Available through Google AI Studio and Vertex AI, it allows seamless progression from prototype to production. This aligns with Google’s developer-first approach: let you build fast, test faster, then scale securely and reliably. For enterprises and larger teams, Vertex AI offers governance, scalability, security, and tool integrations—whether for chat apps, document processing, or tools that actually control computer systems using Project Mariner. A newly emerged feature across Gemini 2.5 series is “configurable thinking budgets.” Developers can control token usage before model answering—dialing in quality and latency trade-offs. This means Flash‑Lite users can further optimize performance for speed or depth. Market Position & Competitive Edge Google’s bold release of Flash‑Lite comes alongside Gemini 2.5 Pro integration into search (AI Mode) and enhanced up-front intelligence features. The broader Gemini 2.5 rollout establishes Google’s AI not just as a backend service, but a trusted utility—responding, reasoning, and understanding across modalities. Financially, it’s paying off. Alphabet’s Q2 2025 earnings reflected a 14 percent revenue spike to $96.4 billion and boosted net income by 19 percent to $28.2 billion. Notably, cloud revenue surged by 32 percent, driven largely by AI infrastructure investments, including Gemini. Gemini reached 450 million monthly users, though it still lags behind ChatGPT—but the momentum is undeniable. Flash‑Lite occupies a unique strategic space: high performance without high costs. As adoption scales across startups, researchers, and cost-conscious enterprises, its agility and affordability may help close the gap with ChatGPT and niche open-source LLMs. Challenges, Trade‑Offs, and the Road Ahead No AI is perfect, and Flash‑Lite is no exception. Although it offers reasoning, its streamlined cost structure may omit the deep-code and safety features found in Flash and Pro. Organizations requiring audio-visual I/O or intensive agentic tool use might upgrade to Flash or Pro tiers. Responsible deployment is also essential. Google requires ongoing evaluation of safety risks. While Gemini 2.5 features enhanced security—detecting prompt injections and malicious inputs—each tier’s safeguards vary. Developers must stay informed about the security levels inherent in each model. Moreover, benchmarks like Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index suggest Flash‑Lite’s raw potency trails
An agentic browser tailored for the AI age—can Perplexity’s Comet dethrone established giants like Google and Apple by harnessing the power of smartphones? A New Rival on the Horizon Perplexity AI, backed by heavyweight investors such as Jeff Bezos, Nvidia, SoftBank, and Eric Schmidt, has staked its ambition on Comet, an AI-first browser that seeks to upend the status quo. Officially launched in July 2025, Comet is built atop Chromium—offering familiarity for users—yet it weaponizes artificial intelligence to transform traditional browsing into a proactive experience. In short order, this startup reached a $14 billion valuation following a $500 million Series C funding round, a testament to both investor confidence and perceived market opportunity. Comet is currently being rolled out to Perplexity’s highest-tier “Pro Max” subscribers at $200/month, alongside a curated beta cohort. The goal: ride desktop momentum into an aggressive push for mobile dominance. Why Smartphones Are Critical Smartphones represent the battleground for browser primacy. Today, Google Chrome commands roughly 70% of mobile browser usage, with Apple’s Safari and Samsung’s native browser capturing another 24%. That leaves minimal space for newcomers—but also immense potential for disruption, especially through default install partnerships. In mid-2025, reports emerged that Perplexity was in talks with mobile OEMs—Samsung, Apple, Motorola, and others—to preinstall Comet as the default or optional browser on upcoming devices. A deal with Motorola is already underway, paving the way for discussions with Galaxy device makers and potentially Apple. Despite the negotiations’ nascency, Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas emphasizes the challenge: “It’s not easy to convince mobile OEMs to change the default browser to Comet from Chrome.” Still, Perplexity aims to escalate from hundreds of thousands of desktop testers to “tens to hundreds of millions” of users by 2026. Their theory: habitual phone use means that pre-installed apps, particularly defaults, gain massive adoption—even when alternatives exist. What Sets Comet Apart Agentic AI at the Core What makes Comet truly stand out is its agentic browsing model: the browser doesn’t just enable search—it performs your tasks. Users can highlight a page, ask Comet to summarize, identify key points, send emails, book appointments, or even shop online—and it acts autonomously to complete these tasks. This is browsing as productivity, not navigation. Sidebar Assistant Comet features a persistent AI sidebar—dubbed the “Comet Assistant” or “sidecar”—that delivers contextual insights and task automation without navigating away. As a result, web interaction shifts from passive page-viewing to active engagement. Privacy by Default Privacy is a central pillar. Instead of relying on cloud servers, Comet processes data locally whenever possible, ensuring user inputs and browsing history aren’t used for model training unless explicitly permitted. Multiple tracking modes offer varying degrees of control, including a “strict” mode that confines all operations to the device. Built on Chromium Comet preserves the core features users love about Chrome, Edge, and other Chromium-based browsers—extensions, bookmarks, tab syncing—while adding its AI layer on top. This compatibility reduces onboarding friction that plagues many radical browser alternatives. The AI Browser Arms Race Comet isn’t alone. Google has been expanding an “AI Mode” in Chrome. OpenAI is reportedly crafting its own browser infused with GPT agents. Companies like Arc, Brave, Neeva, Opera, and The Browser Company’s Dia are racing to bring AI-native browsing to life. CEO Srinivas has argued that Google’s ad-driven model could be a disadvantage in adapting to the AI paradigm, claiming it forces the company to choose between monetization and innovation. Critics argue that many current AI agents are glitchy—misclicking, misunderstanding intent, or compromising trust. But Perplexity insists Comet’s agentic approach, built on strong local processing, is hard for incumbents to replicate. Monetization & Strategic Foundations Comet’s monetization is centered around two primary pillars: Subscription-based revenue – Comet is currently exclusive to Perplexity’s Pro Max users, with broader paid and free tiers expected later in the year across desktop and mobile. In-browser commerce & ads – Comet’s AI can natively integrate e-commerce features—price comparisons, in-page purchases, booking platforms—creating new monetization methods that sidestep traditional ad blockers. Users may benefit from seamless experiences, while Perplexity collects referral or transaction fees. Perplexity aims for profitability ahead of a projected IPO around 2028. Implications For Users & Publishers User Experience: Efficiency Meets Agency Comet redefines browsing as task execution. Data entry, email, scheduling—these tasks, once fragmented, are now streamlined. No more search-compare-copy-paste sequences. In the words of Perplexity marketing, Comet is like “a second brain.” Critics note, however, that over-reliance on AI agents could erode digital literacy and agency. For example, early reviewers report minor errors: Comet occasionally misinterprets page elements, needs confirmation, or takes longer than expected. But the company views these as acceptable trade-offs in an evolving UX paradigm. Publisher & SEO Disruption Traditional SEO—publishing content optimized for clicks—may become obsolete if AI agents summarize pages responsively. Comet’s ability to pull information directly without visiting pages could diminish pageviews and ad impressions. Publishers are asking for stricter controls or metadata protocols to assert when AI can read and repurpose content. The dynamic will echo debates around streaming vs. linear TV, disrupt traditional ad monetization, and prompt media organizations to rethink how they engage with AI browsers. Privacy Implications While Comet emphasizes local processing, broader concerns remain. Tracking of inputs, demographic profiling, and data sharing often accompany AI-enabled tools. Public audits could reveal hidden data flows—a challenge Perplexity must address through transparency and oversight. Challenges & Roadblocks 1. OEM adoption barriersConvincing manufacturers to switch default browsers is complex. Google pays billions to companies like Samsung to maintain Chrome dominance on Android. Apple’s Safari is locked into iOS. Regulatory scrutiny of default bundling agreements may also complicate negotiations. 2. Product refinementComet must evolve from a clever desktop beta to a robust, high-quality product. Early feedback praises potential but highlights latency, misunderstanding, and occasional inaccuracy. 3. Publisher and regulatory pushbackPublishers may lobby for AI content usage fees or AI opt-out. Regulators could introduce guidelines around automated content access, user profiling, and cross-border data flows. 4. Competition & inertiaGoogle, Microsoft, and Apple have resources, developer ecosystems, and user inertia