According to Mashable, Google has launched a new “auto browse” feature for its Chrome browser, powered by its most advanced Gemini 3 AI model. The feature is currently only rolling out to paying Google AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers and is exclusive to the desktop version of Chrome. It works by placing the Gemini AI assistant in a right-hand sidebar, where users can chat with it and assign tasks. The AI can then interact directly with any web page, clicking, typing, and scrolling to complete actions like shopping on Etsy, even adding items to a cart and looking for discount codes. With user permission, it can also access Google Password Manager to log into accounts, and a “Take over task” button allows human intervention if needed.
The Agentic Future Is Here. For A Price.
So, Google is officially letting an AI loose on the web. This is a big step towards what the industry calls “agentic” AI—systems that don’t just answer questions but actually do things. The example of shopping for party supplies on Etsy is clever. It shows a practical, if somewhat trivial, use case. But here’s the thing: this isn’t a free experiment. It’s gated behind the paid Google AI Pro and Ultra tiers. That tells you Google sees this as a premium, value-add feature, not just a browser gimmick. They’re betting people will pay for convenience. And honestly, automating tedious online tasks? That’s a compelling pitch.
What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
Let’s get skeptical for a minute. An AI that can click, type, and log into your accounts? The potential for things to go sideways is massive. Sure, there’s a “Take over task” button. But by the time you notice Gemini has misread a page and is buying 100 party hats instead of 10, the damage might be done. What about dynamic websites that change layout? Or complex multi-step processes with captchas? Google’s demo is smooth, but the messy, unstructured reality of the web is a minefield for automation. I think we’re going to see a lot of hilarious and frustrating failure videos once this gets into more hands. The privacy angle is huge, too. Granting an AI agent permission to use your saved passwords is a monumental trust exercise.
The Bigger Picture: AI’s Taking Over
This isn’t an isolated move. Look at the context. Google just added more AI into Search with AI Overviews. They’re pushing Nano Banana in Chrome. Auto-browse is another piece in a very clear strategy: embedding Gemini into every single point of user interaction with the internet. The browser is the perfect battlefield. It’s where we do everything. If Google can make Chrome the place where an AI agent handles your chores, that’s a powerful lock-in. But it raises a question: are we delegating too much? There’s a line between helpful assistant and over-reliance on a black box that makes decisions on our behalf. We’re racing towards that line at full speed.
A Cautious First Step
Basically, this is a controlled, paid beta of a potentially world-changing feature. Limiting it to paid subscribers on desktop is smart. It keeps the initial user pool manageable and likely more tech-savvy. They’ll be the stress testers who find all the weird edge cases. The real test will be if and when this trickles down to the free version of Chrome for billions of users. The implications for online commerce, data privacy, and even how websites are designed are profound. For now, it’s a fascinating glimpse of an automated future. Just maybe keep your credit card handy when you hit “Task started.”
