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google announced Wednesday that it is bringing many of its Gemini AI features to the Chrome browser. This is the latest in the company’s efforts to put new-age technology at the user’s center.
Features powered by Gemini include the image generation tool Nano Banana, Google’s “Personal Intelligence” feature, and “Auto-Browse,” an agent AI tool that allows users to command the browser to perform various tasks on the web with a single prompt. Google is also introducing a new Chrome design that includes a panel on the right side of the browser that allows users to engage with the Gemini chatbot while surfing the web.
Wednesday’s announcement marks the latest step Google has taken to bring AI capabilities to its browser. This is key for the company, which competes with the likes of ChatGPT maker OpenAI and Claude developer Anthropic, as the browser is the main entry point for users to interact with AI services.
Additionally, the new feature shows how Google is trying to make the Chrome browser more personalized for users. Earlier this month, Google launched Personal Intelligence, a personalization feature in its Gemini app. This feature connects information from apps like Gmail and Google Photos to provide users with personalized answers in the Gemini chatbot.
“Chrome remembers the context of past conversations, so you get uniquely tailored answers to what you’re looking for on the web. And you can already add specific instructions to Gemini for even more tailored responses,” Parisa Tavris, vice president of Chrome, wrote in a blog.
The update also shows that the company is working to realize Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis’ vision of building a “universal assistant,” which he defines as a helper that can plan and take actions on your behalf on any device.
Demis Hassabis, CEO of DeepMind Technologies, speaks at CNBC’s Squawk Box at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on January 21, 2026.
Oscar Molina CNBC
Google announced Wednesday that AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the U.S. will now have access to automatic browsing. This agent functionality is designed to allow users to ask the Gemini chatbot to perform actions such as ordering groceries or searching for hotels and flights across multiple date options.
Users can ask AutoBrowse to “look through their favorite apartments on Redfin and remove those that don’t allow pets,” the company said on its blog.
Google has ramped up its efforts to add AI capabilities to its browser since a U.S. district court ruled in September not to force the company to sell Chrome after being found to have an illegal monopoly on the internet search market. Earlier this month, Google filed an appeal against a ruling that says it has a monopoly on search.
Shortly after the relief ruling, the company updated Chrome in September to add AI features that integrate Google apps like Calendar, YouTube, and Maps, allowing users to access those services without having to go to another web page.
OpenAI launched its own browser in October. The browser is called Atlas and is built around OpenAI’s generative chatbot ChatGPT. The launch of Atlas caused Google’s parent company Alphabet’s stock to fall 2%.
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