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While AI features have been creeping into pretty much every popular browser for the past couple of years now, most of them don’t actually change how you browse the web. You might, for instance, have Safari summarize a web page, or chat with Microsoft Edge’s Copilot in a persistent sidebar, but you’re not accomplishing anything that ChatGPT couldn’t do in a separate browser tab. These AI features are little more than window dressing. Perplexity’s Comet browser is the first AI browser I’ve tried that feels different. Instead of just providing glorified shortcuts to existing tools, Comet uses AI to automate the browsing process itself. This opens up a bunch of interesting scenarios that aren’t possible with other AI browsers. Perplexity Comet can browse for you Comet currently requires either a $200 per month Perplexity Max subscription or sitting on a waitlist; the latter is how I accessed it. At first, Comet looks a lot like other AI browsers, with a new tab page that prompts you to use Perplexity’s AI search engine instead of a standard Google search. There’s also an “Assistant” sidebar for chatting about the current page and a button to quickly summarize its contents. [Screenshots: Jared Newman] But Perplexity Comet does a couple of things that I haven’t seen in a browser yet: It can open and close browser tabs on your behalf, and then access information within those tabs. It can also directly interact with web pages on your behalf. Much like AI in general, it’s still on you to figure out interesting use cases, but here are some examples of how I’ve used it: After logging into my Clear traveler program account, I asked Perplexity to cancel my subscription. It navigated to the cancellation page and went through the mandatory customer support chat on my behalf. To start planning for next summer’s vacation, I had Perplexity search across several flight deal sites for the best prices on destinations abroad. It then opened the results from Kayak and Skyscanner in separate browser tabs. Because I was curious about Samsung Galaxy Fold7 reviews, I had Perplexity open several of them in separate browser tabs, then I had it summarize points of agreement and unique takeaways from each. After reading through, I asked Perplexity to close all of the tabs that it opened. While looking at an email about an upcoming subscription renewal, I had Perplexity put a reminder on my Google Calendar. After posing a question to Perplexity’s AI, I had it ask the same question of ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Proton Lumo to see how the answers differed. Perplexity isn’t the only company working on AI agents that can browse the web for you. OpenAI, for instance, has ChatGPT Agent, and Google has announced an “Agent Mode” for its Gemini assistant. But having these capabilities built into a web browser feels more natural, because you can invoke the assistant as part of your normal browsing. It can act on pages you’re already looking at, open new pages you’d rather view on your own, and let you take over on any pages it’s working on. Would I pay $200 for this? Not a chance. But if Perplexity can sustainably offer its browser at a more normal subscription priceand it gets with the times on vertical tab supportI might consider it. With rumors that OpenAI is building its own browser, I suspect we’ll also see alternatives before long. Other AI browsers Microsoft Edge: A work in progress Out of the box, Microsoft’s browser offers a persistent Copilot sidebar with shortcut buttons for summarizing the current page or looking up related info. There’s also an “Add Tabs” function, which allows Copilot to gather info from multiple open pages at once. More interesting, though, is Edge’s optional and experimental “Copilot Mode.” Activate it through this page, and a bunch of things will happen: The new tab page will switch to a blank Copilot prompt, and the Copilot button mves from the sidebar to a pop-up in the address bar (though you can hit the “Pin” button to move it back). Clicking the microphone activates “voice navigation” mode for conversing back and forth with Copilot. While you’re talking, it can load web pages, click on links, and answer questions about whatever you’re looking at. Selecting “Actions” in the chat window will invoke an AI agent to browse the web on your behalf, doing things like filling out restaurant reservations and adding events to your calendar. Microsoft gets credit for trying to rethink Edge without scaring away existing users, but Copilot Mode doesn’t feel cohesive enough. Its Actions are sluggish, and the responses in voice navigation mode can be long and meandering. On the upside, it doesn’t cost $200 per month. Dia by The Browser Company: Polished, but limited Dia feels like the AI browser Google might have built if it were starting from scratch today. Instead of a standard new tab page, you get a blank text prompt, and depending on what you write, Dia will either search the web or ask AI for an answer. Once you’ve opened some tabs, Dia has a neat way of letting you search across them using @ mentions. You can also highlight text in any input field to get editing suggestions in Dia’s chat sidebar. Its funkiest feature is a “Skills” storefront that essentially provides one-click AI prompts for things like summarizing your day’s browsing history or evaluating the worthiness of a product on shopping sites. None of this amounts to a radically different browser, but presentation and execution help Dia feel fresh anyway. (Dia is currently invite-only, but if you install The Browser Company’s earlier Arc browser and create an account, you can jump the waitlist.) Google Chrome: Surprisingly unambitious Given Google’s zeal to bring AI into its search engineeven at the expense of accuracyyou’d think Chrome would be at the forefront of AI adoption. Instead, the AI features that Google offers are pretty modest. Its best feature isn’t even entirely about generative AI: Clicking “Google Lens” in the sidebar brings up a selection tool to get details about images, explain or translate selected text, turn text snippets into screenshots, and extract text from images. It’s only an AI feature in that Gemini generates some of the responses. Beyond that, Chrome lets you quickly access Gemini by typing “@gemini” in the search bar, and you can right-click any text field to use a “help me write” tool. There’s also an experimental AI history search feature that was hit or miss in my experience. More browsers with AI features: Safari: Apple’s browser can generate brief summaries when you enter the “Reader” view for a web page. Brave: The built-in Leo assistant can answer questions about web pages (including YouTube videos), process documents, and respond to general queries. DuckDuckGo: There’s a button in the address bar for opening a chat with Duck.ai, DuckDuckGo’s private AI assistant, though you can also type “duck.ai” into any browser for the same result. Firefox: The left sidebar menu offers access to ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Anthropic Claude, or Mistral’s Le Chat, but they don’t interact with page content in any way. Deta Surf: This emerging browser has some really clever ideas about bookmark management, though its AI features feel disjointed. Opera: This browser’s Aria assistant is available through a sidebar menu or pop-up menu, and can summarize pages and answer free-form queries. (Opera is also working on a separate browser with agent features called Neon, but it’s not available yet.)
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E-Commerce
Theres no denying that AI has touched almost every part of our lives, from how we shop, learn, and get medical advice, to how we do our jobs. We still dont know exactly how far it will go in automating tasks and jobs versus augmenting humans and unlocking their potential, but one thing is certain: AI is already reshaping how we think about work. Take a financial analyst who once spent days building models in Excel; now AI can produce a first draft in seconds, freeing them to focus on scenario planning and decision-making. Or a marketing manager who used to spend hours compiling reports; with AI, they can devote more time to creative strategy and client engagement. Even within the same role, the skills that create value are shifting toward judgment, creativity, and relationshipsareas where humans still have the upper hand. But the impact isnt limited to specific jobs. It cuts across every rung of the corporate ladder. Which leads to one of the most intriguing (and perhaps provocative) questions in business: could AI replace human leaders? Could Your Next Boss Be a Machine? Augmentation is already here. AI lets leaders outsource a growing list of tasks to machines: scheduling and prioritizing, drafting emails and presentations, scanning for competitive threats, modeling strategic options, even running simulations of tough decisions to see possible outcomes. That leaves more time for the human parts of leadership: inspiring, motivating, listening, and coaching. But what if AI didnt just help your boss . . . what if it was your boss? Heres the case for and against replacing your manager with a machine, but feel free to differ (even if you arent a boss). The Pros of an AI Boss Smarter and more rationalAI doesnt get tired, distracted, or hangry. It makes decisions based on data rather than mood swings, personal grudges, or office politics. In theory, this could mean more consistent, merit-based decisions, and no favoritism for the loudest voice in the room. More predictableIf your boss is an algorithm, you know what to expect. No Monday-morning temper, no mysterious U-turns on strategic priorities. This predictability could reduce workplace stress and uncertainty. After all, people generally prefer working for managers who are reliable, predictable, and, well, quite boring (in a good way). Better at learning . . . and unlearningAI can ingest vast amounts of information, adjust to new patterns, and discard outdated assumptions far faster than most humans. Leaders often cling to what worked in the past; AI can pivot the moment the data says so. Note also that no amount of unconscious bias training will remove stereotypical and prejudiced inferences from the human mind (to be human is to be biased by deign). However, AI can be trained to unlearn human biases, paying attention to true signals of talent and performance while ignoring bias and noise. Cheaper than an executiveMany CEOs and senior leaders are expensive not just in salary but in perks, bonuses (in the U.S., executive compensation increased by an astonishing 1,085% over the past four decades, compared to just 24% for typical workers), and the political cost of bad decisions. An AI boss can be updated rather than bought out. Better at personalizationAn AI manager could tailor feedback, development plans, and even motivational tactics to each employees personality and working style, the way Netflix personalizes your watch list. Typical bosses dont like to personalize because it can evoke feelings of unfairness (this is why they often are against hybrid or flexible working arrangements, as opposed to forcing everybody to be in the office). Personalization requires thinking, planning, and evaluating actual employee output: things AI algorithms are good at but humans are not. If this sounds far-fetched, consider that millions of Uber drivers (and in fact any food-delivery app worker) already take their marching orders from an algorithm that sets prices, assigns rides, and rates performance. Warehouse workers at Amazon follow routes and pick lists generated by AI. Hedge funds and logistics firms use AI-driven systems to set priorities and allocate resources. And research is emerging that AI can outperform humans not only in repetitive decision-making but in certain aspects of strategy and innovation, such as identifying new market opportunities or optimizing supply chains. Oh, and if you wear an Oura ring or other wearable monitoring your health and fitness analytics you will know what it means to be bossed around by an AI well-being coach! The Cons of an AI Boss People crave human connectionYour robot spouse may never argue, but theres value in having someone to argue with. Leadership isnt just about efficiency; its about meaning, trust, and shared experience. Many employees want a boss who can empathize with their struggles and celebrate their wins. The employability problemIf AI took over leadership, what would all those executives do? The displacement of senior roles could ripple through organizations, creating a glut of ex-leaders looking for work in a market that doesnt need them. Granted, in past industrial revolutions short-term disruption to jobs (and especially tasks) eventually led to long-term periods of prosperity, which is what experts predict vis--vis AI. But this still implies some employment losses in the immediate term. Context and nuanceAI can be brilliant at pattern recognition but still miss cultural signals, ethical gray areas, or subtle interpersonal dynamics. An algorithm might optimize for productivity without realizing its creating burnout, not to mention inequality. Change resistancePeople may trust AI to recommend music or plan a commute, but trusting it to guide their careers, assess their performance, or decide who gets promoted is a bigger leap. The optics and politics of reporting to a machine could be messy. Ethical and bias risksAI is only as fair as the data and rules its built on. If trained on biased decision-making patterns, it can replicate and even amplify discrimination in promotions, pay, or workload allocation. Worse, AI decisions can be opaque, making it harder to challenge or even detect unfair treatment. This is why AI ethicists and teams governing AI with the highest ethical and legal standards are in such high-demand today. Accountability gapsWhen your boss is an algorithm, who do you appeal to if a decision is wrong or harmful? Without clear lines of responsibility, unethical or damaging outcomes could go unaddressed, or be endlessly passed between the system and the humans who manage it. Better than average isnt the same as greatAI might outperform the median boss (the distracted, biased, or mediocre manager) but its unlikely to surpass a truly exceptional leader who combines vision, emotional intelligence, and moral courage. Granted, the latter variant is rather rare. The Real Opportunity: Better Leaders, Not Fewer Leaders Rather than replace leaders wholesale, AI gives us a chance to rethink how we select and develop them. Imagine if AI could take on the routine, analytical, and administrative burden of leadership, freeing human leaders to focus on the qualities that machines cant replicate: empathy, inspiration, judgment under uncertainty, and the ability to build culture. We could also use AI to make better leadership appointments in the first place, predicting who has the personality traits and learning agility to thrive in the role, and giving them targeted development before they start. This could help end the cycle of promoting based on technical expertise or tenure rather than leadership potential. The best path forward may be a partnership: machines handling the logic, humans handling the meaning. Thats not just about efficiency; its about making leadership more human than it has been in years. So, would you replace your boss with AI? The answer may depend less on your faith in technology than on the quality of your current boss. If theyre great, youll want them augmented. If theyre terrible, you might be happy to let the algorithm take over. Either way, the leadership model is changing; and we shouldnt wait for AI to pick our next boss to start making it better.
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E-Commerce
Allbirds made a name for itself by making shoes out of natural fibers like wool and tree pulp that weren’t commonly used to make sneakers in the past. Today the company is stepping in a new direction with a shoe collection called Remix, which is made from a different material: trash. On the surface, the two Remix silhouettes look similar to other Allbirds sneakers: There’s the sporty-looking Runner, and the streetwear-inspired Cruiser. But their familiar exterior belies the fact that they’re actually made entirely from waste. The uppers are made from clothes destined for landfills; the soles are made from scraps of old shoes. And Allbirds is hoping that new materials can make the brand exciting again. The stumbling years Allbirds launched in 2016 and went public in 2021. But over the past three years, its revenues have plummeted. After its 2022 peak of $297.8 million, it generated only $189.8 million in revenue last year. The company is now trying to regain its footing. In March 2024, Allbirds promoted Joe Vernachio from the role of COO to CEO. Vernachio previously led Mountain Hardwear’s turnaround from losses to profitability, and believes he can do the same with Allbirds. Part of the plan involves shrinking the brand’s retail footprint to 21 stores this year from 43 in 2023. But it also involves introducing new and updated products while also telling a story about what the brand represents. The Remix collection encapsulates this strategy. Adrian Nyman, who was hired as the brand’s chief design officer last year, argues that one way to add some excitement to the collection is to branch out into new materials. “I believe we should open up the aperture of the brand by playing with different materials,” he says. “As long as we’re holding true to our commitment to sustainability, we owe the consumer as many permutations of this brand as possible.” That said, given our current moment of economic and political turbulence, many consumers aren’t focused on environmentalism right now. So we’ll have to wait and see how well the Remix collection resonates in the market. Cruiser [Photo: Allbirds] A Shoe That Tells a Story When Allbirds launched a decade ago, the impact of climate change was beginning to sink in, as natural disasters became more frequent. Consumers started to show interest in brands’ environmental practices, which is why many of the startups that popped up during that eraincluding Reformation and Everlanefocused on an eco-friendly approach. But times have changed. According to McKinsey, many brands have seen softer sales over the past two years due to inflation; this has resulted in many of them scaling back their sustainability pledges. Footwear brands across the industry are rolling back their commitment to fight climate change: Nike has laid off dozens of sustainability managers as part of a broader cost-cutting effort, and Crocs has reset its net-zero carbon emissions goal from 2030 to 2040. Nyman says that many consumers appear to be less focused on the planet than they used to be. But he also says it would be a mistake for Allbirdswhich was founded as a sustainable brandto pull back on its commitments to the environment. “Consumers may be distracted right now, and in a bit of a fever dream, but I think the pendulum will swing and people will wake up,” he says. “When that happens we need to show that we stayed the course and remained true to our original charter.” The design team at Allbirds has been thinking about how to expand beyond its portfolio of materials, specifically into the world of recycled materials, which are now more sophisticated than ever. The big shoe brands have experimented with designs made from recycled plastic, such as Nike, with sneakers made using scraps from factory floors, and Adidas, with footwear made from ocean-bound plastic. The startup Rothy’s makes shoes from recycled bottles. But Allbirds wanted to try something different and create shoes using recycled lyocell (sometimes referred to by its brand name, Tencel), which is derived from cellulose, the building block of natural materials like cotton and tree pulp. [Photo: Allbirds] It made sense to partner with Circ, now a leader in textile-to-textile recycling. Circ, which launched in 2011, has developed the technology to break down polyester, cotton, or a blend of the two into its component materials. It then spins these materials into new polyester and lyocell fibers, which it sells to brands. Now its investing in large factories to do the work at scale. It has a factory in Danville, Virginia, and recently announced a $500 million investment to build a new factory in France that will open in 2028. But to ensure these factories stay in business, Circ needs brands to buy its recycled fabric at scale. Circ has partnered with high-fashion labels like Christian Siriano and mass-market brands like Zara to create garments from recycled fibers. To keep growing its customer bse, Circ is keen to illustrate that its materials can also be used to make shoes. According to Peter Majeranowski, Circ cofounder and CEO, fibers used in shoes need to be stronger than those used in garments. Circ transformed the lyocell into filaments, which are much longer than yarn and are therefore less likely to break. The company then used a weaving technique that ensures the fabric is thick but also has some stretch. “Performance footwear has the highest technical standards,” he says. “It was important for us to showcase our technology to illustrate that you can create a filament that is good enough to go into sneakers.” Allbirds also partnered with Blumaka, a company that collects foam waste that is discarded during the production of sneakers and transforms it into foam soles. Some companies transform old soles into furniture; since 1992, Nike has used old foam scraps to make Grind, a material that is used on everything from running tracks to playground flooring. But here, the old foam in shoes is used to make new foam soles, creating a more circular system. For Nyman, this is a way to not only demonstrate the brand’s commitment to sustainability but also create an interesting design twist that he hopes spurs new interest in the brand. “Sustainability doesn’t have to be a zero-sum game, where you have to give up comfort, functionality, or fashion,” he says. “We want to create a product that excites the customer aesthetically.”
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E-Commerce
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