Google Launching AI Assistant on Chrome That Can Browse Web on Behalf of Users

Google is launching an artificial intelligence assistant on its Chrome browser that can open websites and click around on a user’s behalf.

The feature, called auto browse, will allow users to ask an assistant powered by Gemini to complete tasks such as shopping for them without leaving Chrome, said Charmaine D’Silva, a director of product. Chrome users will be able to plan a family trip by asking Gemini to open different airline and hotel websites to compare prices, for instance, D’Silva explained.

“Our testers have used it for all sorts of things: scheduling appointments, filling out tedious online forms, collecting their tax documents, getting quotes for plumbers and electricians, checking if their bills are paid, filing expense reports, managing their subscriptions, and speeding up renewing their driving licenses — a ton of time saved,” said Parisa Tabriz, vice president of Chrome, in a blog post.

The rollout is the latest push by parent company Alphabet Inc. to weave AI advancements throughout its products. Earlier this month, the company said Gemini can tap into users’ data across Gmail, Search, Photos and YouTube to personalize its responses. With that feature, called Personal Intelligence, activated on Chrome, the Gemini assistant can help with logistics around a trip like checking school schedules and already-scheduled appointments to find the best option for the family, D’Silva said on a call with media.

Chrome’s auto browse will be available to US AI pro and AI Ultra subscribers and will use Google Password Manager to sign into websites on a user’s behalf. As part of the launch, Google is also bringing its image generation tool, Nano Banana, directly into Chrome.

The company said that safeguards have been placed to ensure the agentic AI will not be able to make final calls, such as placing an order, without the user’s permission.

“We’re using AI as well as on-device models to protect people from what’s really an ever-evolving landscape, whether it’s AI-generated scams or just increasingly sophisticated attackers,” Tabiz said during the call.