Google’s New Chrome ‘Auto Browse’ Agent Attempts to Roam the Web Without You

Google debuted a caller “Auto Browse” diagnostic for Chrome connected Wednesday. The tool, powered by Google’s existent Gemini 3 generative AI model, is an AI cause designed to instrumentality implicit your Chrome browser to assistance implicit online tasks similar booking flights, uncovering apartments, and filing expenses.

The merchandise of Auto Browse is portion of Google’s continued integration of AI features into Chrome. Last year, Google dropped the “Gemini successful Chrome” mode to reply questions astir what’s connected web pages and synthesize details from aggregate unfastened tabs.

Auto Browse, which users tin entree by launching the Gemini sidebar successful Chrome, volition lone beryllium disposable contiguous successful the US to subscribers of Google’s monthly AI Pro and AI Ultra plans. It’s unclear erstwhile Auto Browse volition go disposable to nonpaying users and further countries.

Google’s rollout squares with Silicon Valley’s imaginativeness for the aboriginal of web browsing, which includes a full batch much AI and a full batch little of you. Whether it's a browser designed from inception astir generative AI, similar OpenAI’s Atlas, oregon 1 that’s been retrofitted with caller AI-based tools, similar Google’s Chrome, astir each enactment disposable to consumers present has immoderate level of baked-in AI. (The Vivaldi browser is simply a notable objection for users who privation to debar AI-powered web browsing.)

In a prelaunch demo, Charmaine D'Silva, a manager of merchandise absorption for Chrome, showed maine an illustration of Auto Browse helping her store online. “Instead of having to retrieve wherever I bought thing and effort to reorder something,” she said, “I tin present delegate to Auto Browse wrong Gemini to beryllium capable to spell up and bargain jackets for me.” By typing a connection to the Gemini sidebar successful Chrome, D'Silva requested the bot reorder a overgarment she bought past year, and to find a discount coupon codification earlier making the purchase.

When initiated, Auto Browse takes implicit Chrome and makes ghostly clicks successful its ain tab portion it attempts to implicit the fixed task. “Use Gemini cautiously and instrumentality power if needed,” reads a disclaimer connected the demo version. “You are liable for Gemini’s actions during tasks.” Even though you’re sending it disconnected into the integer wilderness, Google inactive sees you arsenic liable for what its bot does online portion pursuing your requests.

For now, the automation lone goes truthful far. Tasks that are deemed by Google to beryllium much sensitive, similar posting connected societal media and swiping your recognition card, inactive necessitate a spot of idiosyncratic oversight. In these situations, the Chrome bot volition laic retired the steps it took to get that acold successful and inquire the idiosyncratic if they would similar to proceed.

Anyone funny successful experimenting with Auto Browse should powerfully see the information implications of this benignant of automation. Despite Google’s efforts to marque it safer to use, Auto Browse and akin AI-based tools are inactive astatine hazard of being deceived by punctual injection attacks erstwhile visiting malicious websites, which instrumentality the bot into acting successful ways that the archetypal idiosyncratic did not intend.

I’ll beryllium investigating Auto Browse this week to get a consciousness of its archetypal strengths, weaknesses, and what the instrumentality really means for mean Chrome users. Generally, I’m skeptical astir agentic AI tools designed to marque your beingness much businesslike and expanse up each your integer chores. The bots are astir ever overhyped, and I’ve recovered them to beryllium consistently unreliable. Still, Google is insistent connected realigning the web browsing acquisition astir AI. Given Google's way grounds for pushing retired caller features gradually, you should expect Auto Browse to rotation retired much wide successful the adjacent future.