Mozilla has kicked off experimental testing of an AI-based search feature in Firefox, as reported by Windows Report. The testing is taking place in version 139, where some users have noticed new activity in the address bar.

When users attempt to make a search query, a suggestion to use the Perplexity search engine appears as a pop-up notification. Users are also given the option to opt out of the testing phase.

Unlike traditional search engines like Google or DuckDuckGo, Perplexity leverages artificial intelligence to gather information from various sources to provide users with a single comprehensive answer to their queries.

This move may indicate that Mozilla is seeking an alternative to Google, which has been the primary search engine in Firefox for many years, contributing a significant portion of the company’s revenue. Whether this testing will evolve into a full partnership with Perplexity remains uncertain. Currently, Bing, DuckDuckGo, and Wikipedia are also available in the browser.

It is worth noting that earlier in May, Mozilla stated that without a deal with Google, Firefox could face closure. CFO Eric Mühlheim mentioned that antitrust rulings regarding Google threaten the browser’s existence.

According to unconfirmed reports, Google pays Firefox developers around $400 million annually for the default search engine status. Mühlheim had also indicated that this agreement accounts for approximately 85% of Firefox's revenue.