The dream of a smarter and more user-understanding internet is gradually taking shape right in the familiar browser.
Old door to the new world
If asked when you last changed your browser, the answer would be... not remember. For many years, web browsers have been almost unchanged. Names like Chrome, Safari or Firefox are still loyal to traditional usage: Open the application, type the website address and Enter. We are so used to that way that we don't think about having a better choice.
However, in an era where most digital work takes place in browsers - from sending emails, online meetings to editing documents - this seems unreasonable. The browser is playing such an important role that it should have investigated more. And AI, with remarkable progress in recent years, is the piece that is being put in the right place to completely change the web browsing experience.
AI supports web browsing
The appearance of Dia, a new web browser application from Browser Company in New York (USA), is a signal that the next generation of browsers has begun to take shape. The experience with Dia is like having a digital assistant always on duty in the browser, ready to help at any time. Users do not need to open an additional tab, copy content or wait for redirection. With just a shortcut, an AI window appears next to the website, ready to chat and process all requests from summarizing content, checking grammar to synthesizing related information.
The difference and attraction of using smart browsers is that it brings a much more seamless and easy-to-understand experience than older browsers. When you watch a 20-minute video on YouTube, you can ask AI what the main points in the video are? While writing text on Google Docs, you can check the wording. If you read a news article, you can ask the browser to find more relevant articles to better understand the context. Everything happens in the same space, without interrupting your thoughts.
Unlike chatbots like ChatGPT or Gemini, which work separately and require you to move content to another environment, smart browsers like Dia put AI directly into the web browsing process. That not only saves time but also helps users focus more. AI here is not a separate gateway, but a seamless part of the journey of interacting with the online world.
The way it works behind is also quite interesting. Some web browsers are uncking to a single AI model. Depending on the content of the question, it chooses the most suitable model to answer. At times, it was Claude Sonnet, an AI that stood out in programming problems. At times, it is a model of OpenAI, which is famous for its language processing. Users do not need to know which AI to choose. They just need to ask, the rest is the browser's job.
By doing so, AI becomes much more friendly and accessible. It is no longer a far-reaching technology, but a useful tool in every daily task. It is not surprising that big names like Google and Apple are also quietly integrating AI into Chrome and Safari.
There are still unresolved risks
Although AI in the browser brings many benefits, it is not yet perfect. One of the prominent problems is information instability. AI can summarize content and answer questions very quickly, but sometimes it answers incorrectly or creates information by chance, a phenomenon called hallucination.
For example, when searching for a promotion for a water purifier on a product review page, Dia's chatbot replied that there were no incentives, while there were actually products with discounts. Such errors are not common, but enough to make users wary. In experiment, Dia is generally more accurate and useful than single chatbots, but that does not mean that it is completely reliable.
The temporary solution is to retest the links or sources provided by AI. browser can help users save time, but still requires initiative and alertness from humans. Belief in AI should be built over time, rather than given away from the beginning.
Another aspect that many people worry about is privacy. For AI to be able to answer questions related to the content you are viewing, the browser must send that data to the AI provider. Although companies commit to sharing only necessary information and asking partners to delete data after use, there is no guarantee that sensitive data will not be taken advantage of.
Experts recommend that users should not use AI in browsers for sensitive information such as medical records, internal documents or business secrets. For simple needs such as video analysis, text summarization or tool suggestions, AI can completely help. But when information has personal or confidential elements, it is better not to let AI intervene.
The question of costs is also gradually emerging. Most web browsers are currently free, but the AI models behind it are not cheap to operate. In the coming time, AI services that follow the browser will be charged, depending on the frequency of use. If AI truly becomes an indispensable part of web browsing, many people will have to consider paying to maintain that experience.
A recent survey shows that only 3% of daily AI users are willing to spend money. But that number could increase if AI proves that it is not just a trendy technology but a practical tool. At that time, browsers - something we once thought outdated - could once again become the focus but with a smart, dynamic and... talkative look.
