The Comet Moment: When AI Meets Online Education
A short video on social media sparked a surprisingly intense discussion about AI, learning, and integrity. An X user named Amrit Nigam, who describes himself as a web developer, posted a 16‑second clip showing Perplexity AI’s Comet browser tackling a Coursera assignment with a single prompt: “Complete the assignment.” In seconds, Comet seemingly answers 12 questions, and Nigam proclaims, “Just completed my Coursera course.” The course in question was titled “AI Ethics, Responsibility and Creativity.”
The clip’s premise was simple but provocative: can an AI tool effectively finish a course meant to teach responsible AI use and critical thinking? The irony wasn’t lost on observers who noted that a course about ethics was being completed by an AI rather than a student. The moment quickly became a mirror for a broader debate about what it means to learn—and to be certified—in an era of powerful AI assistants.
Aravind Srinivas’s stark warning: a teachable moment
Perplexity AI’s CEO, Aravind Srinivas, weighed in with a blunt warning: “Absolutely don’t do this.” The three-word admonition, posted in response to Nigam’s clip, went viral and framed the incident as more than a quirky tech moment. It was a spotlight on the ethical boundaries of AI, education, and professional credibility. Srinivas’s stance underscored a simple truth: tools that automate parts of a task can blur lines between assistance and substitution, and this blur has real consequences for learning outcomes and trust in certificates.
Public reaction: humour, concern, and debate
Social media users volleyed between irony and concern. Some joked about the possibility of AI “completing” future resumes or exams, highlighting the absurdity of celebrating a machine’s academic milestone. Others warned that relying on AI to demonstrate competency could undermine genuine merit, turning certificates into vanity metrics rather than indicators of real knowledge and ability.
One commenter suggested that educators and employers might increasingly scrutinize the means by which an achievement was attained, rather than the achievement itself. This line of thought points to a broader shift: if AI can perform large swaths of a course, how do institutions assess actual learning and critical thinking? The discussion touched on equity, transparency, and the evolving role of professors in an AI‑augmented classroom.
<h2 The technology behind Comet: convenience versus consequence
Comet, Perplexity AI’s browser‑style assistant, integrates search, automation, and content generation. It’s designed to help users research, summarize, and even complete web‑based tasks through natural language prompts. The incident demonstrates the tool’s strength: speed and efficiency. It also underscores a potential pitfall: when a single prompt can trigger a cascade of automated actions that replace effort, study, and reflection—core elements of learning experiences, especially in courses centered on ethics and responsible use of technology.
<h2 What this means for AI in education and hiring
The episode raises important questions for Coursera and other edtech platforms. If learners can leverage AI to complete coursework, how can platforms preserve the integrity of assessments and the value of certificates? Some responses may include enhanced authenticity checks, proctored or application-based assessments, and a shift toward learning analytics that monitor genuine comprehension over mechanical completion.
For employers and the broader tech ecosystem, the moment serves as a reminder that certifications alone are insufficient indicators of capability. As AI tools become more capable, there is a growing need to evaluate how candidates demonstrate problem-solving, ethical reasoning, and hands‑on skills in real contexts—not just via automated, AI‑assisted tasks.
<h2 A moment with lasting implications
What began as a playful demonstration of a powerful AI tool quickly evolved into a cautionary tale about the future of education and professional credibility. It’s not just about whether an AI can finish a course; it’s about the standards we set for learning, the contexts in which we use AI as a helper or a shortcut, and how institutions and employers interpret AI‑driven work. The internet’s response—ranging from humor to hard questions—reflects a broader public engaged in shaping the norms of an AI‑driven era.
