Google’s popular web browser, Chrome, is getting a makeover with the latest release of Chrome M121, which introduces three new generative AI features that aim to make browsing easier, more efficient and more personalized.
The new features, which are available as experimental options for Chrome users in the U.S. on Macs and Windows PCs, leverage Google’s advanced machine learning and AI technologies to automate and enhance common tasks such as organizing tabs, creating custom themes and writing text on the web.
Tab Organizer: a new way to manage tabs
One of the new features, called Tab Organizer, can automatically group and label similar tabs based on their content and context, reducing the clutter and confusion that often arises from having too many tabs open at once. Users can access this feature by right-clicking on a tab and selecting “Organize Similar Tabs” or clicking the drop-down arrow to the left of the tabs. Chrome will also suggest names and emoji for the new groups, making it easier to find and switch between them.
Another feature, called Create with AI, allows users to quickly generate custom themes for Chrome based on a subject, mood, visual style and color of their choice. Users can select from a variety of options, such as “aurora borealis” in an “animated” style with a “serene” mood, and see what Chrome comes up with. The feature uses a text-to-image diffusion model that was previously introduced in Android 14 and Pixel devices to create generative AI wallpapers. Users can access this feature by clicking the “Customize Chrome” button at the bottom right of a new tab page, then selecting “Change theme” and “Create with AI”.
The third feature, which will arrive in next month’s Chrome release, is called Help Me Write, and it can assist users with drafting text on the web. The feature uses a generative AI model to suggest ways to polish, expand or change the tone of the text, depending on the user’s preference. Users can access this feature by right-clicking on a text box or field on any website and selecting “Help me write”.
Google Chrome’s AI ambitions and challenges
These new features are part of Google’s ongoing efforts to bring the latest AI and machine learning innovations to Chrome, which is the most widely used web browser in the world, with a global market share of 62.85% across all device types. Chrome has previously added AI features such as real-time captions for videos, malicious site detection, permission prompt management and key point generation for web pages.
Google says these new features are early public experiments and will be disabled for enterprise and educational accounts for now. Users who want to try them out can sign into Chrome, select “Settings” from the three-dot menu and navigate to the “Experimental AI” page.
The new features have received mixed reviews from users and experts, who praised the convenience and creativity of the AI tools, but also raised concerns about privacy, security and accuracy. In our short time with the update, we found the Tab Organizer feature sometimes grouped unrelated tabs together or failed to work at all.
Google says it is committed to ensuring the privacy and security of its users and that it does not collect or store any personal information from the AI features. It also says it is constantly improving the quality and reliability of its AI models and that it welcomes feedback from users to help refine the features.