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Opera promises its new AI agent will preserve user privacy as it runs natively and doesn't send sensitive credentials to the cloud or third-party vendors.
Generative AI is revolutionizing how we interact with the world, especially the internet. This could be partly attributed to the rapid emergence of AI-powered chatbots like Microsoft Copilot and OpenAI's ChatGPT, which are changing how people conduct online searches.
Experts warn that tools like ChatGPT search may potentially give Google a run for its money in the search landscape. While Google claims it has "all the ingredients" to maintain its lead in AI against competitors, Opera just made a bold move to affirm its position in the AI landscape.
The company recently unveiled a preview of Browser Operator. As expected, the AI agent is expected to make browsing easier for users.
Opera says Browser Operator's launch marks the first time a browser can leverage AI capabilities to perform important tasks on the web, salvaging time that can be spent elsewhere.
It's worth noting that the AI agent is native to the browser. As such, users can remain logged in to websites as their private credentials are secure and won't be forwarded to unauthorized third-party vendors.
Opera claims this approach is more reliable as it makes the process faster than a server-based solution. "Browser Operator does this in an efficient and intuitive experience, where you are always in control," Opera explained.
How does Opera's Browser Operator work?
Browser Operator simply takes over mundane tasks like buying socks online, allowing you to focus on more important and pressing issues.
According to Opera:
"Browser Operator understands your written instructions in natural language using your browser client’s local resources, and our AI Composer Engine processes this information to complete tasks in the browser. Browser Operator will pause and ask you to take action whenever it needs you to fill in a form, confirm an order, or perform some other sensitive task. In this entire process, you are in control and can take over at any moment from Browser Operator, while you can also review all the steps it took to perform the task you requested."
Opera says it has leveraged its expertise in web development to stand out from the crowd and incorporate AI into its browser to work for its users. "We know how a webpage is built and what it’s meant to look like – so we brought AI into our own playing field and created Browser Operator," the company added.
While users have blatantly expressed their reservations toward AI because of privacy and security concerns, Opera promises to preserve their privacy while using Browser Operator. The company indicated that the AI tool doesn't rely on screenshots or video captures to get the job done.
We developed Browser Operator so that no information – no keystrokes, no screenshots, etc – will be sent to our server when you use it. When Browser Operator requests you to intervene, or when you take over, no information is being processed by the AI, and it will only start reading the website again when you click “Resume”.
Opera
Opera reiterates that the AI tool runs natively, restricting your credentials to your device. "It uses the DOM Tree and browser layout data to get context – meaning that it uses a textual representation of the webpage," the company added.
The company touts this approach as a faster and safer alternative as Browser Operator doesn't need to see and understand the screen from its pixels. Additionally, the tool scours a web page at once, at least in most cases, making it easier to accomplish the assigned task.
While popup dialogs like cookie acceptance and verification dialogs might seem like a deterrent to the AI agent, Opera says this isn't the case because the AI tool views webpage data like the browser does.
Interestingly, Microsoft offers a similar product, Windows Recall. But instead of helping users scour the internet while handling multiple tasks, the Windows 11 feature periodically captures snapshots of your computer screen, allowing you to search for specific content you've seen on your PC using natural language.
The Redmond giant has been plagued by a cascade of security and privacy issues, which have brewed controversy over the tool's usability.
Opera seemingly has a firm grasp on Browser Operators' privacy and security features, but it remains unseen whether the tool will live up to the hype as reported on paper.
Users can access the feature from Opera's sidebar or the Command Line. It's worth noting that the feature is in preview and may not be available for everyone yet. However, Opera plans to ship the tool to broad availability as part of its AI feature drop program.
You can download Browser Operator right now from Opera's dedicated page here.
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