Perplexity has introduced Comet Plus, a monthly subscription that compensates participating publishers when users read their content or when AI systems use it to answer questions. This service provides Perplexity users access to premium content from trusted publishers and journalists, reflecting the evolving role of the internet as a place for living, working, and thinking, not just browsing.
Changing Internet Usage and Compensation Models
The internet now integrates AI deeply into how users find and consume information. Traditional compensation models based on clicks and pageviews are outdated, as they only reward human visits, ignoring AI-driven indexed traffic and agent interactions. Comet Plus addresses this by compensating publishers for three types of internet traffic: human visits, search citations, and agent actions. This new model aligns with how users consume information today—manually browsing, requesting AI-generated answers, or using agents for complex tasks.
Comet Plus Business Model
Subscribers gain direct access to participating publishers’ sites and content, enabling AI assistants to perform tasks on those sites and provide high-quality, AI-informed answers. Publishers benefit by offering tailored experiences for both human readers and AI agents, ensuring their journalism contributes to a better internet. Revenue generated through Comet Plus is distributed to publishers after deducting a small portion for Perplexity’s compute costs.
Enhancing Internet Quality with AI and Publishers
Comet Plus aims to improve the internet experience by moving beyond low-quality clickbait and high-friction navigation. It supports publishers who have struggled with trust and brand erosion under previous models. The Comet browser, combined with Comet Plus, leverages AI to deliver a better web experience for users by integrating quality content with AI-powered tools.
Subscription Details and Participation
Comet Plus will be available as a standalone subscription for $5 per month, with Pro and Max subscribers receiving it as part of their membership. An initial list of publishing partners will be announced when Comet becomes freely available to all users. Publishers interested in joining can contact Perplexity via email.
