Google announced Gemini in Chrome yesterday. The integration of the AI into Google’s browser is the next step in Google’s masterplan to spice up its products using artificial intelligence.
Chrome users in the United States who are subscribed to Google AI Pro or the new Google AI Ultra plan, will be the first to gain access to the AI.
The initial version closes the gap to other browsers that use AI already to summarize webpages for users or allow users to ask questions about the content of a website.
Gemini for Chrome will do the same initially. You activate the AI tool with a click on its icon in Chrome. From there, you can ask questions or give it instructions. The first iteration is limited to the active webpage. You can, for instance, ask it to explain certain concepts to you or provide a summary of the key points.
Google included the following examples in a demo video:
- Make a regular recipe gluten-free.
- Helping a student understand the differences between chemical bonds.
- Adding a reminder to calendar.
- Asking Gemini which plant is best from a selection of plants in open tabs.
- Asking Gemini which poses one should do for a racing podium.
Note: it is a good idea to verify information generated by AI to make sure it is accurate.
Gemini in Chrome: goal is full access to all tabs and agentic functionality
Google is working on improving this base functionality. The company plans to give Gemini access to all open tabs. This enables more features, including the ability to compare different webpages or products or taking everything into account when generating a response.
Gemini will also be able to open websites on behalf of the user, according to Google’s announcement. Google did not explain why users would want the AI to open webpages on their behalf.
Closing Words
Like it or not, AI is going to be integrated into the majority of web browsers. Not everyone will see the use of this, but this will surely expose AI tools to more users. This could change how users use web browsers, searches, and the Web significantly.
Now You: do you use AI features or tools in your browser of choice already? Let me know in the comments below.
I have many questions and concerns about this.
Can the AI be permanently turned off or completely disabled? Why would you want it to open a web site automatically? Does the AI just open sites based on you useage or wht it “thinks” you want?
I do not use AI, I have tried it and found that the date they are trained to are not recent enough to give results that are correct. The whole thing with how AI can do school work for students has me greatly concerned aout the actual education that students are getting now and in the future.
So far, it looks similar to Leo AI in Brave Browser except that it is in popup instead of side panel and has voice option. You click on the button, and it will summarize the current webpage or explain some concept in the page for you if you ask. In Brave, you can continue asking other questions unrelated to current page, but it looks like Chrome AI button so far is mated to current page only.
“Can the AI be permanently turned off or completely disabled? ”
You know that you do not have to use Chrome? There are better Browser options out there, stripped of most of Chrome and Firefox telemetry and junk. But if you continue to use Chrome, the situation looks like this: so far AI has to be activated manually, but eventually to work on multiple tabs or UI, it will probably have to be always on.
“I do not use AI, I have tried it and found that the date they are trained to are not recent enough to give results that are correct.”
Grok is very recent. Maybe not current week but up to the end of last year for sure and ton of current stuff too. Yes, it makes goofy mistakes (it called Superman a Marvel movie). But if it is important, you have to double-check with regular search, preferably not Google.
“The whole thing with how AI can do school work for students has me greatly concerned about the actual education that students are getting now and in the future.”
Yes, it is a huge problem. I hear all the time online that students in college are writing their papers on ChatGPT.
Well, I have decided to not use chrome anymore.