Google bets big on AI with Chrome overhaul

Google is taking its flagship browser into a new era. Just weeks after sidestepping a forced sell-off of Chrome amid antitrust scrutiny, the company has unveiled a sweeping redesign of its browser, one that places artificial intelligence at its core. The move signals Google’s determination to deepen user reliance on its ecosystem, making Chrome not just a gateway to the web, but a hub for AI-powered assistance.

At the center of this transformation is Gemini, Google’s advanced AI chatbot. Starting this week, Gemini is being integrated directly into Chrome for all users in the United States, across both Mac and Windows. Unlike earlier iterations, access to Gemini no longer requires a Google One subscription. Instead, users simply need to sign into their Google account within the browser. Mobile users aren’t left behind either—Gemini is already available on Android and is set to arrive on iOS in the near future.

This integration goes hand in hand with an upgraded “AI Mode,” a feature designed to overlay browsing with context-sensitive intelligence. Originally introduced within Google Search, AI Mode now extends across the entire browsing experience. Through the familiar Chrome Omnibox, users can request summaries of any webpage, ask questions about its content, or dig deeper into specific topics without leaving the site. In demonstrations, Google highlighted use cases like quickly pulling warranty details while shopping online. For now, these contextual tools are limited to English-language queries in the US, but a broader rollout is expected later this year.

Gemini’s role inside Chrome is not just reactive; it’s becoming a proactive digital assistant. With a click on the sparkle icon in the browser’s corner, users can summon the AI to handle tasks that would normally require juggling multiple tabs. Planning a vacation, for instance, could be streamlined by having Gemini gather flight options, hotel availability, and activity suggestions into one consolidated view. The goal is to turn fragmented browsing into a coherent, manageable workflow.

Perhaps the most ambitious element of Google’s plan is what it calls “agentic browsing.” This feature, slated for release in the coming months, allows Gemini to complete multi-step tasks on behalf of the user. In one demo, the AI was assigned a grocery list pulled from an email and seamlessly added all items into an Instacart cart. While Gemini can operate in the background as users continue browsing, Google emphasizes that safeguards are in place. The AI will stop short of high-risk actions—such as completing purchases or sending emails—without explicit user approval.

This agent-driven approach isn’t unique to Google. OpenAI has introduced a similar concept with its ChatGPT Agent, though early reviews have been mixed. A major differentiator is cost: OpenAI’s version requires a $20 monthly subscription, while Google has not yet clarified whether its Gemini Agent will remain free or eventually become part of a paid tier. What Google does have is the advantage of native integration with Chrome, giving it a seamlessness that competitors may struggle to match.

The browser’s AI capabilities are also being tightly interwoven with other Google services. Gemini can now tap into Calendar for scheduling, Maps for location details, and YouTube for both search and video summaries. It even has the ability to resurface web pages you’ve previously visited, essentially acting as an extended memory layer for your browsing history. This ecosystem-wide integration highlights Google’s strategy of making AI not just an add-on, but an embedded feature across its most widely used products.