AI is quickly becoming part of everything from search to agents to shopping assistants, and the momentum isn’t slowing. Now, AI’s next target is web browsers. AI-powered browsers promise to revolutionize the way we use the internet by making everyday browsing smarter, faster, and more intuitive.
Why AI Browsers?
Browsers remain the primary gateway to the web, and capturing user attention here has huge implications. Companies want to front-run engagement and prevent competitors from controlling the web journey. Beyond direct commerce, AI browsers unlock new opportunities for advertising revenue and access to vast amounts of behavioral data, which is valuable even when anonymized.
Google’s dominance, combined with its AI capabilities, makes it an uphill battle for other players. Capturing even a small share of the browser market could translate into significant revenue and strategic advantages.
How are AI Browsers Different?
The AI browser race is heating up, with Perplexity launching Comet, OpenAI with its recently launched browser Atlas, and Microsoft adding Copilot features to Edge. Several other players are also entering the space and are worth watching.*
The difference isn’t just cosmetics. Traditional browsers render pages, run extensions, and quietly collect vast amounts of behavioral data on every search, click, and interaction. AI browsers are aiming to reimagine that relationship. They’re being framed as an assistant of sorts. They do more than show the web, they interpret it. Features like conversational search, page summarization, multi-tab reasoning, task automation, and even built-in tools for shopping, travel, finance, and project organization shift the browser from being a passive tool into more of an active guide. Instead of ten blue links when you search, users now get a summarized answer, a comparison, or an action completed on their behalf.
Chrome still dominates the browser market with two-thirds of global share, which makes it the default experience for most people online. That dominance is a big factor in why competitors are betting on AI as their wedge into the market and why Google itself has started rolling out more AI features in Chrome to keep pace.
AI Browsers and the Zero-Click Shift
AI browsers are accelerating trends already affecting search behavior. Users can now get answers and summaries directly in the browser without clicking through multiple sites. The result is rising impressions but dropping click-through rates. A recent Bain & Co survey found that roughly 80% of consumers now rely on “zero-click” results in at least 40% of their searches, reducing organic web traffic by an estimated 15% to 25%.
Zero-click does not mean zero action. In some cases, AI-driven browsing is improving the quality of traffic, since users visit sites only when they’re ready to convert. Now, it’s less about casting a wide net and more about reaching the right audience at the right moment.
For marketers, this makes content strategy more nuanced. High-intent content matters more than ever because it drives conversions, while broad informational content can still be valuable for AI summaries, helping build visibility and brand authority. Structuring content clearly and authoritatively increases the likelihood it will surface within AI browsers and assistants. Beyond content itself, diversifying channels and exploring AI-specific features, like browser-integrated agents or interactive content, can help ensure audiences find you wherever they are in their journey.
Preparing for the AI Browser Future
AI browsers are still emerging, but they are evolving quickly. Beyond changing how people find information, they have the potential to reshape how people interact with content and make purchases. The traditional flow of “search, click, site, conversion” may eventually converge within the browser itself.
OpenAI has already introduced instant checkout in ChatGPT, allowing US users to purchase single items directly from Etsy and Shopify merchants. With Shopify’s network of over one million sellers, the feature hints at massive potential, though it’s likely that fewer than one percent of merchants will see sales through this channel in its early stages. The recent Walmart partnership takes that vision further, integrating one of the world’s largest retailers directly into ChatGPT and underscoring how quickly AI-assisted commerce is moving from experiment to execution. If OpenAI brings similar functionality to its own browser, it could give them a competitive edge over other AI browsers that focus mainly on search and content summarization.
This shift signals what’s next for AI browsers. Even before commerce is fully integrated, businesses should consider how these advances are changing visibility and engagement:
A few things to keep in mind:
- AI-driven experiences: Explore how products, services, or content could be surfaced in AI browsers.
- Visibility signals: Structure, authority, and clarity are becoming increasingly important for being surfaced in AI summaries and assistant interactions.
- Brand trust: Make sure product information, reviews, and support are clear and reliable since users will rely on AI instead of your site to make decisions.
- Evolving features: AI browser features are advancing rapidly, from in-browser shopping to task automation. Businesses that experiment early will be better positioned before adoption grows.
AI browsers are transforming how people explore, engage with, and interact online. They are moving the internet from a place where users go to find things into a platform where discovery, decision-making, and action can happen seamlessly. Brands that adapt early within these experiences will set the pace for this new era.
*Notable AI Browsers to watch:
As competition grows, more players are entering the space beyond the big names already mentioned.
Brave – Brave integrates Leo, a built-in AI assistant that summarizes webpages, generates content, and answers questions while keeping user data private and processed on-device.
Opera – Opera’s AI assistant Aria provides content creation, tab management, and real-time answers, while built-in VPN and privacy features help protect user data.
Firefox – Firefox offers on-device AI for tasks like alt text generation, translation, AI-enhanced tab groups, and lets users choose their preferred AI chatbot in the sidebar for privacy-focused browsing.
Arc – Arc Max includes ChatGPT in the command bar, 5-second previews of linked content, improved tab organization, and tidy downloads to intelligently rename downloads and make them easier to find.
Dia – Dia focuses on privacy with minimalist design and built-in AI that helps manage tasks, plan, and shop with context-aware assistance.
Strawberry – Strawberry integrates AI “Companions” directly into browsing, offering research, content creation, and automation support without leaving the browser.