Mozilla Firefox Integrates Perplexity AI: A New Era of AI-Powered Web Search

Mozilla's Firefox adds Perplexity's AI answer engine as a new search option | TechCrunch

While AI companies, startups, and others are rolling out their own web browsers that embed AI services deep into the web surfing experience, Mozilla's Firefox is instead allowing its customers to swap out their default search engine for an AI-powered search option in the browser they already use. The company on Tuesday announced that it's bringing AI answer engine Perplexity to Firefox, letting customers decide whether they want to use AI to search the web and find new information. Mozilla had previously announced it was testing the integration, but the option was only available in select markets, including the U.S., U.K., and Germany. It was not yet determined if Perplexity would become a permanent addition to Firefox's list of web search providers, alongside others like Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo. Now, the company says that positive user feedback has pushed it to make Perplexity available to its global users on the desktop. It will arrive on mobile devices in the months ahead. Once enabled, Perplexity offers a conversational search experience where answers appear with citations, as opposed to a list of web links, as with Google's traditional search. The option will appear in the unified search button in the address bar, which lets you quickly switch to search with Perplexity as needed. Users can also configure their default search provider in Firefox's settings. Mozilla had earlier said that if the Perplexity pilot was successful, it would look to add more AI answer engines or search options to its browser in the future. (It likely started with Perplexity because the company says it won't share or sell users' personal data.) Alongside news of the AI search option, Mozilla also noted it's making its browser profiles broadly available to all users after months of tests and a gradual rollout. This feature lets you switch between different browser setups, like those for work, school, or personal use. Plus, the company continues to test visual search with Google Lens among those who set Google as their default search provider on the desktop.

Firefox adds Perplexity AI as a global search option

Mozilla is integrating Perplexity's AI answer engine into the Firefox browser for its global desktop users. The expansion follows positive feedback from initial testing, providing a selectable AI search alternative within the existing browser interface. The company previously announced a test of the integration in limited markets, which included the U.S., U.K., and Germany. During this phase, it was not yet determined if Perplexity would be established as a permanent web search provider alongside existing options such as Google, Bing, and DuckDuckGo. Following what Mozilla described as positive user feedback from the trial, the company has now made Perplexity available to all its desktop users worldwide. An expansion to mobile devices is planned to occur in the months ahead. When enabled, Perplexity delivers a conversational search experience. This method provides answers that include citations rather than the list of web links characteristic of traditional search engines. The AI search tool can be accessed through the unified search button located in the browser's address bar, which facilitates a quick switch to Perplexity for specific queries. Users also have the option to configure Perplexity as their default search provider through Firefox's settings menu, making it the primary search tool. Mozilla indicated that its choice to partner with Perplexity was influenced by the AI company's data privacy stance, noting that Perplexity states it will not share or sell users' personal data. The company had also previously stated that if the Perplexity pilot proved successful, it would look to add other AI answer engines or search options to the browser in the future. This integration allows Firefox customers to access AI search functionalities without needing to switch to a new, dedicated AI-centric browser. In conjunction with the Perplexity announcement, Mozilla noted that its browser profiles feature is now broadly available to all users. This availability follows a period of months of testing and a gradual rollout. Browser profiles enable users to switch between distinct browser setups for different contexts, such as work, school, or personal use. Mozilla also continues to test a visual search function using Google Lens, a feature available to desktop users who have set Google as their default search provider.

You can now use Perplexity AI as new search option in Mozilla Firefox, here's how

It also rolled out browser profiles and testing Google Lens like feature. Mozilla is now expanding its browser AI capabilities by introducing the Perplexity AI as a new search option in Firefox. Unlike other companies that build entirely new AI browsers, Mozilla aims to offer users the choice, allowing them to integrate AI into their existing web experience rather than forcing them to switch. The company confirmed on Tuesday that Perplexity AI will now be available to Firefox desktop users worldwide, following positive feedback from previous regional tests in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany. The feature is expected to arrive on mobile devices in the coming months. Once activated, Perplexity provides a chat-style search experience, displaying summarised answers with source citations rather than a traditional list of links. Users can access it through Firefox's unified search bar or make it the default engine in their browser's settings. "This addition reflects our shared commitment to choice: You decide when to use an AI answer engine, or if you want to use it at all. Available globally, Perplexity can be found in the unified search button in the address bar. We'll be bringing Perplexity to mobile in the coming months. And as always, privacy matters. Perplexity maintains strict prohibitions against selling or sharing personal data," the company stated in its blog post. In addition to AI integration, Mozilla is making browser profiles available to all users, allowing them to easily switch between different browsing configurations for work, school, and personal use. The company is also continuing to test visual search via Google Lens for users who have set Google as their default search provider on desktop. The company aims to introduce a few more features to make the browsing even smarter.