For years, Google leveraged its Chrome browser as a powerful vehicle to grow and cement its dominance in search. Now, the company is preparing to do the same in artificial intelligence.
On Thursday, Google announced it is supercharging Chrome with a suite of AI features designed to make browsing more interactive, automated, and personal. The overhaul marks the beginning of a new era for one of Google’s most important products, as the company shifts its business around AI-driven search and productivity.
AI Mode in the Omnibox
Among the most immediate updates, Google is embedding AI Mode — its conversational alternative to traditional search — directly into Chrome’s “omnibox,” the address bar where users type web queries. This change allows users to launch AI-powered searches without leaving the webpage they are on.
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The move is part of a broader transformation of Google Search into an AI-first product. Parisa Tabriz, Google Chrome’s vice president, described the changes as “fundamentally changing the nature of browsing,” in a blog post announcing the upgrades.
Gemini Comes to Chrome
Google will also integrate its Gemini AI assistant directly into the browser. The tool, previously available only to paying subscribers, will now be free for all Chrome users. Gemini can “see” everything on the current webpage, access content across multiple open tabs, and answer questions in real time.
Crucially, Gemini will also remember past pages visited and connect with other Google services such as YouTube and Google Calendar — a sign of Google’s strategy to create a seamless AI ecosystem across its products.
The Antitrust Backdrop
Chrome’s role in Google’s empire cannot be overstated. Since its launch in 2008, the browser has grown to capture roughly 70% of global market share, according to Statcounter. It remains Google’s largest entry point for Search, feeding the company valuable user data that powers its algorithms.
Chrome was a focal point in the Justice Department’s recent antitrust case against Google, which argued the company should be forced to divest its browser business to weaken its search dominance. The judge ultimately rejected that proposal, leaving Chrome in Google’s hands. Now, with AI features woven into the browser, Chrome could become the launchpad for a new era of dominance — this time in artificial intelligence.
AI Agents Arrive
Perhaps the most striking update is the introduction of AI agents inside Chrome — autonomous systems designed to perform complex tasks on behalf of users. Google’s agent, previewed last year under the codename “Project Mariner,” has been upgraded significantly.
The agent can complete tasks such as filling an Amazon shopping basket, drafting an email, or copying and pasting information from one webpage into a document. It runs in the background, letting users multitask while it works, but it will prompt for clarifications when necessary.
For example, if tasked with ordering apples, the agent may pause to ask whether you prefer Braeburn or Pink Lady. It also stops short of taking irreversible steps, such as finalizing a checkout or sending an email, without explicit user approval.
“The nice part about it happening locally is that we are able to ask clarifying questions and hand it over seamlessly to the user, too,” said Charmaine D’Silva, Google Chrome’s product director, at a press roundtable.
Competition With OpenAI
Google’s rollout comes just months after OpenAI launched its own “ChatGPT Agent,” an autonomous assistant capable of carrying out tasks. But OpenAI’s agent is still in its early stages, hampered by reliability issues and frequent glitches.
Mike Torres, Google Chrome’s VP of Product, said the company is determined to learn from those shortcomings.
“Our hope, by the time this gets to users, is that we’ve done away with many of those potential snafus,” he said.
The Future of Chrome as an AI Hub
Analysts see Chrome’s transformation as a turning point for both the browser market and AI adoption, with the optimism that Chrome could become the go-to hub for AI interactions worldwide, with users relying on Gemini and Chrome’s AI agent for everyday tasks. If widely adopted, this is expected to create a new “flywheel effect,” where Chrome collects user interaction data that feeds back into Google’s AI models, strengthening their accuracy and appeal. In this future, Chrome could solidify Google’s edge over rivals like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Microsoft.
However, there are concerns over privacy, data collection, and AI reliability, which could lead to regulatory crackdowns and consumer hesitancy. If agents make costly mistakes — such as placing incorrect orders or mishandling sensitive emails — user trust could erode. Chrome risks being seen as bloated or intrusive, potentially driving users to leaner alternatives like Safari or Firefox.
Against these backdrops, Chrome’s challenge now seems largely to prove that these tools will work seamlessly at scale, and that users, already wary of AI mishaps, are ready to hand off more of their digital lives to Google’s machines.