CALIFORNIA: In a major expansion of its artificial intelligence ecosystem, Google announced that it is embedding its advanced Gemini AI directly into the Chrome browser, introducing a suite of new tools designed to revolutionize multitasking, creativity, and online shopping.
The update centres on a new sidebar interface, now available to all Gemini in Chrome users, which allows for a continuous AI conversation across any open tab.
Google positions this as a significant productivity enhancement, enabling users to compare products, summarize lengthy articles or reviews, and manage tasks without navigating away from their current webpage.
‘Nano Banana’ image generator comes to browser
A standout feature in the rollout is the integration of ‘Nano Banana,’ Google’s proprietary image-generation tool. Previously exclusive to the Gemini app, the tool is now embedded directly in the Chrome sidebar.
This allows users to generate new AI images or edit existing ones seamlessly within their browsing session, eliminating the need to open separate tabs or upload files, thereby accelerating creative processes.
Future Vision: ‘Personal Intelligence’ as a trusted partner
Looking ahead, Google unveiled plans for ‘Personal Intelligence’ for Chrome, a feature designed to evolve the browser into a contextual assistant.
By remembering past interactions, this integration will provide highly personalized, context-aware help.
An initial step, the ‘Connected Apps’ function, already enables Gemini to pull specific information, like a child’s school break schedule, directly from a user’s linked Gmail or Google Calendar.
‘Auto Browse’ tests autonomous task completion
One of the most ambitious features, ‘auto browse,’ is now in preview for AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the United States.
This tool allows the AI to autonomously navigate websites to complete complex tasks.
In a company demonstration, the AI successfully located a past jacket purchase within a user’s email, identified the exact product model, and initiated a repurchase on a retail site.
While this represents a paradigm shift in web interaction by automating repetitive actions like weekly grocery orders, the feature currently operates at a measured pace.
Notably, it incorporates built-in pauses for user confirmation at critical junctures, such as finalizing a payment, ensuring a layer of human oversight.
This strategic integration marks Google’s latest move to make AI an indispensable, omnipresent layer within the core digital experiences of its users, fundamentally changing how people interact with the web.
