Opera is now the first major web browser with AI-based agentic browsing

The team behind the Opera web browser has announced a new AI agent called Browser Operator, capable of performing browsing tasks for users. This new agentic browsing marks a paradigm shift that could mark the next evolution of web browsers.

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According to Krystian Kolondra, EVP at Opera, “For more than 30 years, the browser gave you access to the web, but it has never been able to get stuff done for you. Now it can. This is different from anything we’ve seen or shipped so far.” Kolondra continues, “The Browser Operator we’re presenting today marks the first step toward shifting the role of the browser from a display engine to an application that is agentic and performs tasks for its users.”

Key features of AI agentics include:

• Autonomy
• Perception
• Decision-making
• Action Execution
• Learning and Adapting

Major efficiency boost

Via the AI agentics, the Browser Operator is designed to give the user a major efficiency boost. This is accomplished by allowing the user to explain what they need to do in natural language, and the browser will then perform the necessary tasks.

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For example, you could ask Browser Operator to buy you a pair of pink running shoes from Nike in a size 8.5. The Browser Operator will then perform the task. As Browser Operator performs the task, the user can see what’s happening at any point in the process, so they are in control the whole time.

User-focused ecosystem

Essentially, Opera is turning the browser into more of a user-focused ecosystem that uses native client-side solutions to complete tasks while protecting user privacy.

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The Browser Operator runs natively inside the browser and uses the DOM Tree and browser layout data to get context. According to Opera, that makes the solution faster because the browser doesn’t need to “see” and understand what’s on the screen from its pixels or navigate with a mouse pointer. Browser Operator can access an entire page at once, without the need to scroll, which means it reduces overhead and time required. And because it all happens natively within the browser, the Browser Operator doesn’t require a virtual machine or cloud server.

Preview status

Browser Operator is currently in feature preview status and should become available soon as part of the Opera Feature Drop program. I checked my up-to-date version of Opera Developer, and it has yet to hit, but I’ll keep my eyes open and write up a how-to as soon as it’s available.

You can watch Browser Operator in action on the official Opera YouTube channel. Expect Browser Operator to appear in a Feature Drop in the near future.