California: Google rolled out sweeping artificial intelligence upgrades to Chrome Wednesday, embedding autonomous browsing capabilities and on-demand image editing directly into the world’s dominant web browser. The updates center on Gemini integration, introducing a persistent sidebar that executes multi-step tasks without leaving the browser window.
Auto Browse functionality enables Chrome to complete complex web tasks like filling PDFs, renewing driver licenses, researching trips, and booking reservations. The feature requires either Google AI Pro at nineteen ninety-nine monthly or AI Ultra at two forty-nine ninety-nine monthly. Chrome holds roughly sixty-five percent of North America’s desktop browser market, giving the rollout massive reach.
The new Gemini sidebar taps Personal Intelligence, remembering past conversations and accessing data from Gmail, Google Photos, Calendar, and other connected apps. Users can set preferences once rather than repeating instructions across sessions. A feature called Nano Banana delivers image generation and editing through the side panel, allowing transformations without uploading files.
Google Chrome Vice President Parisa Tabriz described the updates as “helping users handle digital tasks more efficiently”. The moves arrive as Chrome faces mounting competition from AI-native browsers like OpenAI’s Atlas, launched in October and initially triggering a two percent drop in Alphabet shares.
Enterprise versions include Google Workspace integrations with data controls rolling out to businesses soon. Mobile implementations give Android users power button access while iOS receives tab-aware queries. All features remain optional, preserving user control over data and the ability to delete history. The updates represent Chrome’s most significant AI integration since Gemini features first appeared in September.
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