Where Are AI Browsers Like Comet And Atlas? And Why It Is Quite Impossible To Rival Browsers Like Chrome And Safari

When Comet and Atlas first showed up, they didn’t feel like “just another browser launch.” They felt like a moment. The kind of moment where you assume everything is about to change. An AI browser that can read, summarise, search, open tabs for you, book stuff, compare things and basically act like a tiny assistant living inside your screen? That’s the dream. People talked about it the way they talk about the next iPhone. Big hype, big promise, big future.And now… the obvious question is: where are they?Not dead, not exactly. But definitely not everywhere. Not on your mom and dad’s phone, not on your friend’s laptop, not on that random office PC you occasionally borrow. They’re stuck in a weird zone, floating around tech Twitter, early adopters

and “I test new things for fun” users.After paying attention to this space for a while, I realised the problem isn’t that Comet or Atlas are bad. The problem is much more brutal.They’re trying to dethrone browsers that aren’t even being chosen anymore.1. The “Pre-Loaded” Iron CurtainThe biggest barrier is simple: Chrome and Safari are not apps, they are defaults.

On Android, the setup process practically walks you into the Google ecosystem holding your hand like a nervous tourist. Chrome isn’t just “installed,” it feels like part of the OS. A system component. The browser you casually end up using without thinking twice.And on iOS, Safari is in a different league altogether. It’s not just a browser icon. It’s basically the gatekeeper. Apple’s WebKit engine is what other “browsers” on the App Store are forced to use anyway, so even if you download something else, it still feels like Safari wearing a different jacket.That’s why the inertia is unbeatable. Most people won’t download a new browser for “better AI” when their current one works perfectly fine 99% of the time.2. The “Edge To Chrome” PipelineThere’s a very specific ritual that sums up browser loyalty perfectly.You open a fresh Windows laptop. Microsoft Edge is sitting there. It’s polished. It’s fast. It’s loaded with AI features and Copilot integrations. It’s practically begging for attention.And then you do what millions of people do without even thinking:You type… “Download Google Chrome.”That moment is hilarious, but it also explains everything. Features don’t win. Trust wins.Even if Comet or Atlas has a cooler AI agent, you’re not going to move your entire digital life to a startup browser like you’re shifting houses overnight. Ten years of saved passwords, payment methods, autofill, bookmarks, history, logins and muscle memory are sitting inside Chrome. Safari has the same grip on Apple users.Switching feels risky. Not exciting.3. The “In-Situ” AI Problem: Why Leave The Browser?

AI browsers also arrived at the worst possible time, because the browser itself is no longer the main event.Search is becoming AI.Google’s AI Overviews and the whole “AI Mode” direction have reduced the need for a separate AI browser. If I can get a clean summary directly on the results page, why would I change browsers just to get the same thing?We’re living in a zero-click reality now. People don’t browse the web like they used to. They skim answers. They screenshot. They bounce. Chrome doesn’t even need to become “AI-first” as a browser when Google Search already is.So the AI browser pitch loses impact: you’re not replacing the browser, you’re just adding a feature people already get elsewhere.4. The Identity Crisis: Atlas And Comet Are Stuck In Early Adopter PurgatoryComet and Atlas are brilliant for researchers, writers and power users. But they don’t have the “integrated life” factor.They don’t plug into your Google Photos world. They don’t have your Apple Pay one-tap flow. They don’t feel like they belong to a giant ecosystem that already owns your daily habits.And there’s another harsh reality: in tech history, “AI browsers” often become features, not products. Chrome watches the trend, waits, then absorbs the best parts into itself six months later.It’s like trying to sell a smart fridge when people really just wanted a better freezer drawer.5. The “Impossible Rivalry”: Ecosystem Lock

This is the part no one wants to say out loud.To rival Chrome or Safari, Comet and Atlas don’t just need better AI. They need an ecosystem so sticky it becomes unavoidable.My tabs on my Mac are on my iPhone because of Safari. My browsing history on my PC follows me to my S22 because of Chrome. Syncing is the moat. Convenience is the addiction.So where are AI browsers like Comet and Atlas?They’re here. They’re impressive. They’re evolving.But they’re fighting giants that aren’t just competing in browsers. They’re competing in digital life itself.And that’s why the real challenge isn’t building an AI browser. It’s convincing the world to switch defaults.