Google has announced that it is adding its Gemini AI assistant to its Chrome browser. For now, Gemini will only be available on the desktop version, and only for AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers in the US who use English as their Chrome language. It is unclear whether a global rollout of this feature will be happening anytime soon, however.
For users with access to Gemini in Chrome, the AI assistant can be found in the top right corner of the browser. Clicking the sparkle icon will pull up a chatbot window that can be moved and resized if the user so chooses. The user can pretty much interact with the AI as they normally would from here.
Currently, Gemini can be prompted to clarify complex concepts or summarise information on any webpage, but Google does have plans to expand the chatbot’s capabilities in the future, such as allowing it to work across tabs. Another addition in the works is the ability to navigate websites on the user’s behalf, allowing the user to quickly find the information they seek.
Of course, this is just one of the many reveals Google has made at this year’s I/O, and it is also not the only Chrome-focused change. The company is also introducing a feature that allows the browser’s password manager to automatically change a weak password to a more secure one. When Chrome detects a compromised password when the user logs into a website, the user will be prompted with the option to automatically fix the issue.
The company explained that while Chrome can already detect weak passwords, people are unlikely to change their passwords as the process is annoying. Therefore, implementing an automated password change feature is seen as a positive in terms of both safety and usability. Google also noted that Chrome will only automatically change passwords with the user’s consent.
(Source: Google [1], [2] via The Verge)
