Google is preparing to introduce an artificial intelligence (AI) feature in its Chrome browser called “auto browse” that can carry out multi-step online tasks on behalf of users, according to a recent blog post by the company.
The update represents a further evolution of Gemini in Chrome as the assistant was first introduced as a tool for answering questions and summarising content on individual webpages. Google has since expanded its functions to include comparing products across multiple tabs and recalling previously visited pages, while signalling its intention to automate more routine online activities.
With auto browse enabled, Gemini will be able to analyse images displayed in the browser, identify items within them and search for similar products online. It can then add selected items to a shopping basket and apply discount codes while adhering to a user’s stated budget. For tasks that require authentication, Gemini can also use Chrome’s password manager to sign into accounts, as per Google.
Google is also redesigning how Gemini appears in Chrome, moving it from a pop-up interface to a fixed panel on the right-hand side of the browser window. The panel supports integrations with services including Gmail, Calendar, Maps, Google Shopping and Google Flights, allowing the assistant to draw on information across multiple Google applications and perform actions within them.
“If you’re traveling to a conference and need to book a flight, Gemini can dig up that old email with event details, reference context from Google Flights to provide some recommendations, and later draft an email letting your colleagues know your arrival time. These features can be enabled in the Connected Apps section of Gemini Settings,” Google wrote in an example regarding its latest updates.
The updated panel will also include Nano Banana, Google’s AI-powered image generation and editing tool, which allows users to modify images using text prompts.
Google has indicated more features like “personal intelligence”, an optional function that allows Gemini to reference past conversations and analyse data linked to services such as Gmail, Calendar, Photos and search history. Google said it expects to bring this capability to Chrome “in the coming months”.