Microsoft is now testing Edge’s “Copilot mode” a bit more broadly. Previously hidden behind a flag, it is now accessible in the stable version of the browser, on Windows and Mac.
This mode, offered on an opt-in basis, brings together several features already being experimented with in Edge, including Copilot Vision and Copilot Actions. The former allows a voice conversation about the page you’re viewing. It is also being tested in Windows and in the Copilot mobile app (screen sharing and camera). The latter runs tasks in the background. For now, it mainly covers three commercial-use scenarios: making reservations, placing orders, and planning trips, with “partners” like Booking.com, Expedia, Kayak, Skyscanner, etc.
When the “Copilot mode” is activated, every new tab displays a chat interface.
The Copilot icon is moved to the left of the address bar and opens a resizable panel.
In the long term, you’re supposed to be able to use all open tabs—and the history—as context. Microsoft also mentions the creation of thematic navigation journeys with suggested actions.
As things stand, Edge appears able to open tabs, but not switch between them. It isn’t possible to select search engines other than Bing. The usage is free “for a limited time,” we’re told. Copilot Pro subscribers already enjoy higher usage quotas for features like Vision and Actions.
Who Doesn’t Have Their Own “AI Browser”?
If the move doesn’t ring as a revolution, it allows Microsoft to assert its stance in the wave of “AI browsers.”
Perplexity has recently entered the arena with Comet, made available to a handful of testers—and to subscribers of its Max plan ($200/month). It has integrated its search engine, enabled by default. A sidebar assistant helps you work on the page content (summaries, clarifications of points…), tailor navigation (using history as context), and automate tasks (connectors for Gmail and Google Calendar, among others). The query quota isn’t unlimited except with the Max subscription.
Google has pushed a similar approach since May, under the brand “Gemini in Chrome.” Access to the assistant is via an icon in the toolbar. You can then, as with Perplexity, work on the content of a page and perform tasks. Access is currently limited to Google AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers in the USA. Gemini in Chrome cannot yet leverage multiple tabs at once. It does, however, offer a Live mode (audio conversation).
Opera has also positioned itself in the segment, with Neon, also in an experimental phase. It will be a subscription product.
OpenAI plans to launch a browser as well, based on its Operator technology, through which GPT models manipulate graphical interfaces. It is, too, a question of automating tasks, from filling out forms to booking restaurant tables.
