Article illustration 1

Perplexity has launched an aggressive student acquisition campaign for its AI-powered Comet browser, offering one free month of its $200/year Perplexity Pro tier to verified students. The browser, which debuted in July as a challenger to Chrome and Safari, integrates generative AI directly into the browsing experience—a move squarely targeting the education sector.

Students can unlock the trial by verifying their academic status, with additional free months granted for each referral. Post-trial, continued access drops to $4.99/month—a 75% discount off the standard rate. Perplexity markets Comet as a "24/7 sidekick, study buddy, and tutor," emphasizing features like Study Mode and AI-generated interactive flashcards that transform uploaded materials into study aids.

"AI is rapidly becoming a fixture in the classroom," notes the announcement, acknowledging the contentious role of generative tools in education.

This push parallels initiatives from Grammarly, which recently launched AI writing assistants for students, and OpenAI/Microsoft/Anthropic's $23 million investment in teacher AI training. Like Grammarly's positioning of AI as a "writing coach," Perplexity aims to frame Comet as an enhancer rather than a replacement for critical thinking—though the long-term cognitive effects remain unproven.

Concurrently, Perplexity is expanding access through partnerships, offering a one-year free Pro trial to PayPal and Venmo users in select countries. These tactics reveal a clear strategy: seed adoption among students and financially constrained users to build market share against entrenched competitors.

As AI cements itself in academic workflows, the real test lies in whether tools like Comet can genuinely elevate learning—or merely become another digital crutch. With education increasingly serving as a battleground for AI dominance, Perplexity’s student play signals how deeply the industry aims to embed itself in tomorrow’s workforce.

Source: ZDNet