Opera has announced that it will release one of the first agentic browsers. Called Neon, this browser will serve two purposes: use AI to automatically perform tasks for users, and serve as an AI playground for future development.
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The purpose of an agentic browser is to use AI agents to understand user intent, automate complex tasks, and act on behalf of the user. Agentic browsers move from being a passive tool to access information to an active digital assistant.
Not the first Neon
This isn’t the first time Opera has released a browser called Neon. Nearly a decade ago, the company released a concept browser that was intended to serve as an experimental platform for testing new ideas and user interface innovations.
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This time around it’s all about AI, and Opera Neon will be able to work with you or for you to help you get things done.
The announcement by Opera comes on the heels of Google’s I/O, where they announced Shopping Mode for Chrome, which uses AI to tie into a user’s searches. Opera Neon will go farther than that.
According to Henrik Lexow, senior AI product director at Opera, during the Opera Neon press briefing:
“We’re at a point where AI can fundamentally change the way we use the internet and perform all sorts of tasks in the browser. Opera Neon brings this to our users’ fingertips. We see it as a collaborative platform to shape the next chapter of agentic browsing together with our community.”
New AI agent
Like the current iteration of Opera, Neon will include a standard AI tool that allows users to chat, search the web, get answers, and access most of the functions found in traditional AI tools. Along with that, there’ll be the new AI agent (which was previously showcased as “Browser Operator”), which allows users to automate routine web tasks, such as filling out forms, making hotel reservations, and shopping.
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Another very interesting aspect of Opera Neon is the employment of AI agents that function in a virtual machine — hosted in the cloud. Those agents can continue working for a user even after they’ve gone offline. For example, you can ask the browser to create a game. Opera Neon will research, design, and build it even after you’ve stepped away. With this powerful tool, users can even ask the AI agents to simultaneously make multiple requests, so Opera Neon is a true agentic multitasking tool in web browser form.
Release date
No release date has been announced, but you can sign up for a wait list to be informed as soon as Opera Neon is available.
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Source: Robotics - zdnet.com
