Opera is adding ChatGPT integration, as a new era of the browser wars begins

Ben Schoon | Feb 12 2023 - 6:30 am PT

ChatGPT made a huge impact when it debuted in late 2022, and as 2023 has begun, AI has been a big deal for Big Tech. And now, it’s also restarting the browser wars, as Opera is adding direct integration with ChatGPT, challenging both Microsoft and Google.

Announced on Friday, Opera is adding ChatGPT to its browser. This new integration will live in the Chromium-based browser’s sidebar and will work across both desktop and mobile versions of the browser.

The integration seems primarily aimed at using the AI to summarize pages on the web, using a “shorten” button to create a quick bullet-list summary of the page or article you are on. Opera explains:

…[Opera] is also working on augmenting the browsing experience with new features that will interact with these new generative-AI-powered capabilities. Among the first features to be tested is a new “Shorten” button in the address bar that will be able to use AI to generate short summaries of any webpage or article.

There’s no specific timeline for when this functionality will roll out, but Opera told The Verge that it will be “very soon.”

Opera provided a brief demo of ChatGPT built into its browser.

This comes just days after Microsoft announced the “new Bing,” which is powered by a more advanced, updated version of ChatGPT. That new product primarily lives in Bing Search, but it’s also directly integrated into Microsoft Edge, with the ability to summarize pages and interact with content on the page, much like Opera’s implementation.

Google, meanwhile, is looking to integrate “Bard” into ChromeOS as our Kyle Bradshaw reported this week. While that’s not directly a browser, it seems reasonable to assume Chrome may eventually see similar integration.

AI is clearly giving the “browser wars” a new lease on life, as it’s certainly one of the more powerful and exciting features to come out in recent years.