My favorite tech tool

There is one technology tool that we all use, and while there are lots of great apps out there, this may just be my favorite.

For 95% of us (or more) it’s the tool in which we spend the majority of our time.

Chances are, you took only took a moment to download it and perhaps spent even less time deciding which brand to use.

I’m talking about your web browser. 

Many of us haven’t thought much about which browser we use; odds are you’re using one that came with your device. You probably aren’t even aware of all the options! Sure, there’s Chrome, Safari, and Edge. But do you know about Brave, Vivaldi, Ecosia, and Arc?

And in case those aren’t enough, this article is going to introduce you to a few more options.

A New Era of Browser

OpenAI and Perplexity are just two companies working to add to the plethora of browser options. Perplexity’s Comet browser is now available in early-release for paying Perplexity users. And OpenAI has been tight-lipped (as usual) about their browser which is expected to drop any day.

Other browsers are already here. Dia, built by the creators of the Arc browser, has released their browser to Arc users and others on their waitlist. And the Opera browser company released OperaNeon in May, also with a waitlist. 

All four are part of a new generation of “AI-first” browsers. These are built with AI in the forefront of functionality, providing the user easy access to AI across their tabs. 

But that’s just the beginning. These and other AI-based browsers will become more robust and useful as the technology continues to evolve and as we get better at coming up with use cases. Dia has a “trailer” to show it in a real world setting…

What to do with your AI Browser?

As the video demonstrates, an AI-first browser should be able to look through all open tabs (or just those specified) to answer broad questions, synthesizing large amounts data without needing to provide it through an AI interface. The OperaNeon browser boasts agentic functionality (authorizing a tool to act on your behalf). Rather than reaching for Google, these browsers offer an AI solution to search close at hand.

To be clear, many of these things have been available for months. Browsers have been adding AI-based extensions and sidebars for a while now, allowing users to prompt their AI tool of choice as easily as they open a tab to Google. (And in case you’re wondering, Chrome says it has an update with Gemini built-in “coming soon.”)

So Why Now?

We’re coming to the more speculative portion of today’s newsletter, but the way I see it there are a couple of reasons AI is coming to a browser near you.

1. It’s finally mature enough.
And when I say “mature” I mean both the technology and the adoption of the technology.

2. Models need new training.
This is a new way for the companies developing models to gain training data, as internet content is getting thin. This means you’ll want to pay attention to what your AI-browser of choice is training on. In theory, you’ll have AI on every tab and page, even the ones you may not want it on.

3. Brand recognition/loyalty.
For some of these tools, a browser is a way to get more people to buy-in to their product. (See also OpenAI’s plans to release hardware.)
On the Chrome side, it feels like AI/search should have been integrated there a long time ago. Once again, Google is a bit late to the party they should be hosting, and some other companies may see this as a window of opportunity to erode Chrome’s lead in the browser market.

4. The long game.
As I’ve said, much of this functionality has been available in traditional browsers and these new browsers are rolling out slowly. There almost seems to be more of a battle to announce an AI browser than release one. But many clearly see that the future includes the ubiquitous use of AI – and it will have to be integrated in our most ubiquitous of tools, the browser.

The Friction of Change

I suspect the transition to AI-first browsers will be slow. The same issues we have innovating our daily routines to utilize AI will carry over to browser usage, but with even more challenges. As I mentioned, web browsers are largely our primary piece of software at this point and we like things to be where we expect them. The benefits of AI tools will have to overcome the extra friction of moving to a new interface.

Browsers are also very diverse. While there are commonalities like windows, tabs, and bookmarks, there’s a dozen different way to organize, and stylize them. We may get started with our browser in seconds, but we often spend untold hours slowly evolving them to work just how we want them to, with the tools and extensions we need. New AI browsers will have to offer the features and tools we expect, in addition to AI functionality fitting seamlessly into our user experience.

They’ve got their work cut out for them.

Your Browser Experience

What is your browser of choice? Want to be a web browser power user? Curious about AI-first browsers?

I have Dia invites! If you want to try it out, drop me a note with your email and I’ll share one.

Request a Dia invite Request a Browser class