Google is adding more artificial intelligence into its Chrome browser as the search giant tries to fend off burgeoning competition from AI startups OpenAI and Perplexity.
In a blog post Thursday, Google said it’s rolling out Gemini in Chrome to users of Mac and Windows computers in the U.S. as well as to mobile devices. Users will be able to ask Gemini for help understanding the contents of a particular webpage, work across tabs, or do more within a single tab, such as schedule a meeting or search for a YouTube video.
“We are evolving the browser to help you get the most from the web – in ways we didn’t think possible even a few years ego,” said Rick Osterloh, Google’s senior vice president in charge of platforms and devices, in a statement. “And we are doing it while keeping the speed, simplicity and safety of Chrome that so many people love.”
Internet browsers are at the center of the battle for consumer AI supremacy because they serve as a key gateway to accessing information and content online.
Google and Apple have for years controlled most of the internet distribution points, which is a big reason the U.S. Department of Justice tried to force Google to divest Chrome as part of its antitrust case.
However, the judge in the case recently decided Google could keep Chrome, in large part because generative AI has dramatically changed the competitive landscape.
AI rivals are rolling out browsers to try and control more of the user experience. In January, OpenAI announced Operator, an agent that uses a browser to complete tasks, such as shopping using the Instacart app. The company is reportedly working on its own browser built upon the open-source Chromium code base.
Last month, Anthropic launched a browser-based artificial intelligence agent powered by its Claude AI models. Perplexity debuted its browser Comet in July for AI tasks, making it available to paying subscribers.
The new Gemini in Chrome integrates deeper with Google apps like Calendar, YouTube and Maps, so users can access those services without moving to a different webpage.
In the coming weeks, it will also be available to users of its enterprise productivity product Google Workspace, where users will have “enterprise-grade data protections,” Mike Torres, Google vice president of product, wrote in a blog post.
Google also announced new agentic capabilities for Gemini in Chrome. Agentic AI allows users to build customized services that can perform specific jobs.
In the coming months, users will be able to ask the Gemini agent to do certain tasks, such as booking a haircut or ordering weekly groceries. The agentic features were previously part of an internal project called “Project Mariner,” which was popular with employees.
Before Thursday’s announcement, Google required users to be signed up for certain Google subscriptions to access Gemini in Chrome. Now it’s more widely available with far more features.
Source: https://www.cnbc.com/