Perplexity received 780 million queries last month, CEO says

At Bloomberg’s Tech Summit, CEO Aravind Srinivas revealed that Perplexity's AI search engine handled an astonishing 780 million queries in May, marking a remarkable growth rate of over 20% month-over-month. Srinivas confidently projected that if this momentum continues, the platform could reach a staggering billion queries weekly within a year. He highlighted the dramatic rise from just 3,000 queries on its very first day in 2022 to an average of 30 million daily queries today, showcasing the platform's rapid expansion. Srinivas also discussed the potential of the upcoming Comet browser, which he believes could further enhance user engagement. "If users are engaged in the browser, the retention could be infinite," he stated, emphasizing that each action taken within the browser could generate additional queries. He pointed out that many users are looking to move away from traditional browsers like Chrome, creating an opportunity for Perplexity to attract new users. The vision for Comet extends beyond being a conventional browser; Srinivas described it as a "cognitive operating system" designed to perform actions on users' behalf, turning multiple search queries into a single seamless browsing experience. "You really need to rethink the entire browser ecosystem to achieve this," he asserted. As the company gears up for the launch of Comet, which is expected in three to five weeks, it aims to incorporate features such as virtual meeting recordings and transcription capabilities, although these may not be available in the initial release. Srinivas also hinted at the browser's ability to track user activity beyond the app, a strategy reminiscent of Google's rise to dominance, which could facilitate premium advertising opportunities. This transformative approach to browsing is expected to redefine how users interact with the internet, making it a more integral part of daily life.