The Comet’s Tale ☄️ — Issue #7
Your Daily Beacon for All Things Comet, Perplexity, and AI Advantage
Greetings again, Comet Cowfolks! Chris here. 👋🏼
With The Comet’s Tale ☄️ now “comet’ing” at you daily, I’mma stay on top of EVERYTHING (well except Sundays, we all need a break sometimes!) for y’all… because why not continue riding Perplexity’s tailwinds of innovation itself, together as a community?
It’s especially more important now than ever. Political violence tied to speech activism is on the rise, and with last week’s shooting of a known political activist, It is more imperative than ever that we stay on top of our generative AI trends to understand and comprehend the bigger picture, and not consistently sloppy brainrot ads Big Tech INSIST people click on.
As a result, I will be launching a yet-to-be-named newsletter (on the beehiiv platform) that will be dedicated to AI, law, and public policy. Why can you trust me? I’ve been a law clerk for multiple firms, and my business, Parallax Analytics, works with law firms in all industries to help expand and build their practice DIRECTLY THROUGH generative AI. Further, I have degrees in justice sciences and political science, making a nerd like myself feel the calling to separate the wheat from the chaff. (Also, if you’re curious, check out my website!)
With Issue #7, we’re gonna try and touch on a little bit of that with the News of the Day, but with a little flair for the Perplexity side of things… after all,, Comet has helped saved you lots of work by now? Right? RIGHT?! 😊
Buckle in. Today, we’re unpacking some big stuff, the why, the hidden gains, and how you can spin code, content, and curiosity into real-world results—with Comet and Perplexity as your mind-meld engine.
In case you missed it: What actually IS Perplexity Comet? ☄️
Simply put: Comet is Perplexity’s browser with your built-in research AI—The Comet Assistant—that…
Instantly reads and digests web pages for you
Cross-examines facts from multiple sources
Delivers real-time, trustworthy fact-checks
Shops smarter, finding deals as you browse
Drafts emails, docs, and summaries with context
Answers questions about anything you see—right on the page
The Comet advantage: While ChatGPT draws from past data, Comet and The Comet Assistant operate in the now—giving you answers, insights, and automation as you’re browsing.
If you want some quick hits and tips for the features you care about the most, subscribe today and take a look at past issues!
🚀 Perplexity/Comet News of the Moment
Featured Update: Spaces Go Live with Real-Time Code Execution
Big moves, bold headlines, and major shakeups…here’s everything you need to know:
Funding Milestone:
Perplexity has locked in $200 million in new funding, catapulting its valuation to an impressive $20 billion. The capital injection—backed by major names like Nvidia—positions Perplexity as one of AI’s fastest-growing disruptors, intent on shaping the future of web search and knowledge discovery.
Legal Spotlight:
Britannica and Merriam-Webster have filed a high-profile lawsuit against Perplexity. The suit claims Perplexity’s “answer engine” systematically scrapes, reuses branded content, and may confuse users about the source of AI-generated information. It’s the latest salvo in publishing’s fight to protect intellectual property as AI’s impact on the web accelerates.
Policy Update:
Perplexity’s major policy update, effective September 15, 2025, centers on AI safety and privacy, especially for government use:
Zero Data Usage for Government: Perplexity will now automatically enforce a “zero data usage” policy on all requests identified as coming from U.S. government agencies. This means any data from government users—whether logged in or not—will not be stored, retained, or used for AI model training or improvement. These protections apply to both their public platform and their new “Perplexity for Government” and “Enterprise Pro for Government” offerings.
Secure-by-Default: This approach requires no paid subscription or contract—security features and privacy protections are enforced by default for any federal user accessing from a government network or email address. Agency IT leaders can even proactively submit network ranges to ensure full coverage for their staff.
Empowered Access: All verified government users gain access to Perplexity's most advanced AI models and product features, supporting critical public sector research without risking data exposure.
Broader AI Safety Focus: The policy reflects growing industry concerns about the risks of ever-more capable and autonomous AI systems. By implementing stricter privacy and usage controls, Perplexity is aiming to set a new standard for responsible AI deployment—particularly in sensitive and high-stakes environments like government and defense.
In summary: Perplexity’s September 15 update is a big leap for AI responsibility, safeguarding data and operational security for federal users while raising the bar for privacy-by-design in mainstream AI tools
Other Perplexity Product Progress:
Brand-new platform features now include tools for finance, hotel loyalty, and working with PDFs, advancing Perplexity’s push into “AI for everything.”
Comet Browser keeps evolving, with deeper integrations and more seamless in-browser research.
Perplexity is also debuting secure, government-focused services with “Perplexity for Government,” promising enterprise-grade privacy for federal users.
Industry Impact:
Perplexity continues to challenge Google’s model, offering conversational, citation-backed search with increasing accuracy, efficiency, and transparency.
Their new free-tier AI models (like Sonar, based on Llama 3.3 70B) ensure that advanced, web-grounded AI is available to all, not just premium subscribers.
🌬️ Comet's Tailwinds
High-velocity prompt snippets for maximum daily gain
Welcome to your new toolkit. Every day, we'll drop a few prompt snippets engineered for hands-on value. Whether you work in operations, marketing, engineering, or creative roles, one of these will pay immediate dividends. Today's Prompt Arsenal? We’re running the gamut on ALL the modes, try them out!
1. Perplexity Sonar (the basic search):
Prompt: List the three most disruptive emerging technologies in [your industry/sector] based on current news and research. For each, provide a one-sentence summary and a recent example from the past month that demonstrates its real-world impact.
Why use it? Get a rapid-fire, up-to-date briefing on game-changing tech in your field—perfect for sparking ideas, driving strategy sessions, or amazing clients and colleagues with current industry intelligence.
Tip: Try running this prompt weekly for your niche—then share highlights in a LinkedIn post or team update to look like you’ve got your finger on the pulse.
2. Perplexity Deep Research:
Prompt: Summarize the 5 most valuable, up-to-date insights on [your chosen topic] from trusted sources, prioritizing facts and actionable takeaways. Present as a numbered list formatted for easy sharing in a team chat.
Why use it? Turn hours of research into a ready-to-send “cheat sheet”—ideal for jump-starting projects, prepping for meetings, or being the go-to knowledge sharer.
Tip(s): Swap in any topic—from AI trends to sales strategy—and instantly equip your team (or yourself!) with cutting-edge wisdom. Include the phrase “…highlighting any contextually relevant and cross-referencing material to backcheck your original research…” and REALLY watch it fly!
3. Perplexity Labs: “Future-Proof My Workflow Challenge”
Prompt: Analyze my current workflow for [describe your process or task], then suggest 3 powerful automations or AI-driven tools—ranked by ROI—that I can implement immediately to save time and boost results. Include short setup instructions or integration tips for each.
Why use it? Unlock hidden efficiency: This prompt audits your routines and hands you battle-tested, AI-powered upgrades you can implement today.
Tip(s): Paste in your daily process or the exact tools you already use—then wow your friends or team by rolling out the recommendations and crediting The Comet’s Tale ☄️!
These aren't just templates, folks…they're building blocks. Each one lets you orchestrate your digital presence and decision speed, using Comet to outpace and outsmart the competition.
Tailwinds in Practice—Case Story:
Just last week, reader Mia R. shared: “Using the suggested Comet workflow, I set up an automated research digest for my product team. Now, every morning, we get a single curated brief on competitor updates and major AI trends—straight into Slack—saving us hours hunting for scattered insights and letting us jump into deep work faster.”
That’s the kind of everyday lift we love to see, Mia!! We want all The Comet’s Tale ☄️ readers to experience that same “eureka!” moment!
What’s your Comet shortcut? Hit reply below—your story could feature in a future issue!
🛸 Comet’s Cosmic Curios
Here’s what’s pinging Comet’s radar as far as … well, let’s call them curious … uses of AI.
Introducing…Project SQUIRREL!:
Is Nutmageddon upon us? Are we too far gone for the squirrels to become our new overlords?Nano Banana Craze…Go BANANAS!
Google’s Gemini tool “Nano Banana” kicked off a massive trend, letting users instantly transform selfies into 3D collectible figurines (think Funko Pop meets meme culture). The "Nano Banana" tool lets anyone upload a picture, pick a theme (“space explorer!” “retro arcade!”) and get a boxed, toy-style portrait. Over 200 million of these AI-generated figures have jammed social media this week, with celebrities and even politicians joining in. I put mine below from a mirror selfie of a wedding I recently attended. 🤣
💬 Cosmic Q&A
Each day, I’ll answer a hand-picked reader’s question.
Today:
Q: Why do some AI answers sound so confident—even when they’re totally wrong? How do I ‘fact-check’ AI output without becoming an expert myself?
- Carley
A: Great question, Carley; this is one I answer on a daily basis. GenerativeAI (or GenAI, or just AI) models like ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Gemini are trained to generate text that sounds natural and authoritative…but they don’t actually know if something is true or false. They’re designed to predict, or guesstimate based on its training set (and a lot of hard math!) the “next best token* (*a token is basically a piece of a word),” not to reason like a fact-checker. There ARE NOW reasoning models that CAN do this, but they don’t “reason” the way you and I do as humans (GenerativeAI is not naturally capable of concepts like nuance, intuition, or instinct).
The best trick? Always look for supporting sources and live links when reviewing AI answers. Tools like Perplexity automatically cite real websites and let you click for context…so get in the habit of opening those citations and checking for things like publication dates, author credibility, and consistency across sources!
Bonus! Try this workflow—highlight a surprising claim, then ask the AI to “show sources for this statement.” It’s like having a built-in assistant for cross-checking. The more you verify, the smarter (and more accurate) your AI-assisted work becomes—no PhD required!
Send in your burning questions—tech, process, velocity hacks, or anything existentially AI. If I don’t know, I’ll Comet-ize the answer for tomorrow.
🔮 What’s Next—A Look Forward
Tomorrow kicks off a brand-new series—Workflow Wizardry Week—where The Comet’s Tale ☄️ will pull back the curtain on the art (and science) of building AI-powered workflows that turbocharge productivity.
Here’s what you can expect for September 16, 2025:
Reader Spotlight: The first round of reader-driven Spaces, broken down and explained so you can copy, remix, and run with your own.
Industry Perspective: Updated generative AI workflow teardowns, with a look at what industry leaders are doing right now (and where you can borrow their best tricks).
Series Sneak Peek: For those looking to level up, tomorrow’s edition will preview our members-only multi-part “Build-Your-Own Workflow” blueprint—an exclusive deep dive for our forthcoming paid edition of The Comet’s Tale ☄️ (no ads, deeper insights, exclusive prompting tips and hacks). Step-by-step guidance, templates, and ready-to-plug automations are on deck and ready to go!
Want in on the blueprint? Hit reply, submit your favorite problem or process, and you might get your workflow featured (and solved) in next week’s teardown.
If you’re reading this far, congrats! You’re not just watching the future unfold—you’re helping launch it.
Comet isn’t just a tool; it’s a playground for explorers, tinkerers, and the quietly bold—people who’d rather build the map than wait for directions. Here, every question is an opportunity, every workflow a spark, and every reader a fellow astronaut in this experiment we call “progress.”
Where other newsletters toss you links and wish you luck, we hand you the launch codes and say, “Strap in.”
Curiosity fuels the ride; Comet powers the mission.
Keep experimenting, keep sharing, and—if you want tomorrow’s spotlight—hit reply and show us where your story lifts off.
See you in the next orbit.
Comet on! ☄️💫
Chris Dukes
Managing Editor, The Comet's Tale
Founder/CEO, Parallax Analytics
Beta Tester, Perplexity Comet
https://parallax-ai.app
[email protected]
P.S. - Struggling with something specific? Hit reply. If multiple people have the same challenge, it’ll become featured in a future issue.