Agentic Browsers: Copilot on the Web
The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in web browsers is changing the way we interact online. Browsers are evolving from pure information providers into active assistants that take on tasks and give users more control over their digital environment. This shift is driven by the initiatives of Microsoft with Edge and Google with Chrome.
Quelle: Custom presentation
Introduction
When we talk about a 'Copilot in the Browser', it means that the AI not only acts in the chat but also acts visibly in the browser window. It reads open tabs, clicks buttons, summarizes longer texts and carries out simple tasks, while users watch and can intervene. Microsoft calls this in the Edge browser the "Copilot Mode", an experimental mode that uses context across multiple tabs, understands voice input, and progressively allows more actions – always optional and under user control. Google describes something similar for Chrome: Gemini soll über Tabs hinweg vergleichen and soon to take on tasks such as scheduling appointments or making purchases, with the user retaining control.
Current status
On July 28, 2025 Microsoft unveiled the "Copilot Mode" in Edge which includes a new start screen with a chat, search and navigation input, multi-tab context, voice control and, eventually, further actions after explicit consent. The mode is free, but 'for a limited time' and entirely optional.
On September 23, 2025, Microsofts AI chief Mustafa Suleyman in an interview stated that Edge should evolve into a "true agentic browser" development – 'almost like a little angel on your shoulder' who reads reviews, compares prices and synthesizes research results, visible and interruptible at any time. Microsoft plans no new browser, but an optional experience in Edge.
Quelle: guidingtech.com
Copilot in Microsoft Edge summarizes the content of a webpage and demonstrates its 'agentic' capabilities.
Google announced on September 18, 2025 the expansion of Gemini in Chrome the expansion of, including agentic capabilities such as booking a haircut directly on websites in the coming months. As a competitor, Perplexity published on July 9, 2025 with "Comet" einen eigenständigen KI-Browser, the aim to delegate tasks and automate workflows.
Analysis and Motivation
This step in browser development has several motives. First, productivity: Edge should take over tedious clicking work while users watch and control. This saves time and builds trust through frontend transparency instead of a 'black box' in the background, as Mustafa Suleyman emphasizes ( The Verge).
Second, the ecosystem: Microsoft integrates the AI into the existing browser to leverage its distribution and proximity to Windows, instead of forcing a new product ( The Verge).
Quelle: learn.microsoft.com
Diverse interaction options: Copilot in Edge offers various conversation styles and features for a personalized user experience.
Third, the web ecology: If agents actually visit websites, publisher visits and attribution are generally preserved, unlike purely generative answers without clicks ( The Verge).
Fourth, the competition: Google is steering Chrome in a similar direction with Gemini and signaling upcoming agentic automations, which increases the pressure ( Google Blog).
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Facts and uncertainties
Supported: Microsoft offers in Edge an experimental Copilot Mode feature with multi-tab context, voice control, optional use and clear indications when Copilot uses context. Additional actions come only with explicit permission.
Supported: Microsoft does not plan a new AI browser, but expands Edge into an 'agentic browser'. Suleyman speaks of "kleinen Engel", visible steps and user control.
Supported: Google announces for Chrome agentische Fähigkeiten including bookings that Gemini performs on websites, stoppable and under user control.
Quelle: vrogue.co
The evolution of AI in the browser: From the Bing Chat icon to the new Copilot icon in Microsoft Edge.
Unclear: How quickly and in which countries the full Edge features will be rolled out, since Microsoft says 'free for a limited time' and features 'soon' or 'coming soon' without a precise roadmap ( Microsoft Blog).
Unclear: How publisher attribution and consent are standardized for complex agent actions. Microsoft emphasizes real page visits, but the interview does not name concrete measurement standards ( The Verge).
False/Misleading: "Forced AI" in Edge – according to Microsoft the mode is optional and can be disabled at any time; the standard Edge remains. Microsoft Blog).
Misleading would also give the impression that Chrome can today shop automatically – Google talks about 'in the coming months' and emphasizes interruptibility and control ( Google Blog).
Quelle: YouTube
Impact and Takeaways
For users, agentic browsing means savings in clicking – for example when comparing products or researching across multiple tabs – as long as rights are granted consciously and visibility is maintained ( Microsoft Blog).
For teams in UX, SEO and conversion, this means journeys shift from classic SERP hopping to on-page agent actions. Relevance signals, plain-language prices, structured data and transparent reviews become even more important because agents read and process these elements ( Google Blog). It is advisable to review privacy notices and control options, for example the Microsoft Privacy Statement Seite für Copilot-Funktionen.
Copilot in the Browser is not just a new chat field, but a role change: The AI acts visibly with you in the tab, remains optional and promises less clicking with more control ( Microsoft Blog). Microsoft positions Edge as an agentic browser and emphasizes transparency and publisher traffic, while Google Chrome pushes Gemini in a similar direction ( The Verge, Google Blog). For you: present content in a way that makes it immediately understandable to both humans and agents – clear, structured and verifiable.