Perplexity is taking bold steps to revolutionize mobile marketing by building its own browser and collecting data on everything users do online. The goal? To sell premium ads that are more relevant than ever before.
According to CEO Aravind Srinivas, the company's browser, named Comet, will be launched in May and will track user behavior outside of Perplexity's own app. This data will then be used to build a highly accurate profile of each user, allowing for hyper-personalized ads that cater to their specific interests.
"We want to get data even outside the app to better understand you," Srinivas explained on the TBPN podcast. "Because some of the prompts that people do in these AIs is purely work-related. It's not like that's personal." He noted that work-related queries won't be enough to build an accurate-enough dossier, but data on users' online activities will provide a much clearer picture.
Srinivas believes that Perplexity's browser users will be fine with such tracking because the ads will be more relevant and valuable to them. "We plan to use all the context to build a better user profile and, maybe you know, through our discover feed we could show some ads there," he said.
Perplexity is not alone in its quest for mobile marketing dominance. Google, Meta, and even Apple are all collecting data on users' online activities to sell targeted ads. However, Perplexity's approach may be more intrusive than others, as it plans to track everything users do outside of its own app.
The company has already signed a partnership with Motorola, which will pre-install Perplexity's app on the Razr series and allow users to access it through the Moto AI by typing "Ask Perplexity." Talks are also underway with Samsung, according to Bloomberg.
While Google is currently facing antitrust scrutiny in court for its dominant position in search and online advertising, Srinivas' openness about Perplexity's tracking ambitions may seem ironic. However, the company believes that its approach will be more transparent and beneficial to users than others.
The future of mobile marketing is shaping up to be a highly personalized and targeted experience, with companies like Perplexity leading the charge. As the industry continues to evolve, it remains to be seen whether users will welcome this new level of tracking or push back against it.