ブラウザはエージェントAIの将来の鍵ですか？オペラ、困惑はそう思う

Why is Perplexity so determined to acquire a web browser? The answer might lie in a fundamental shift on the horizon: the rise of the agentic AI internet — and browsers could be at the heart of it.

I recently spoke with Henrik Lexow, senior product leader at Opera, on my TechFirst podcast. Opera, the browser company with a 30-year legacy that introduced innovations like tabbed browsing, pop-up blockers, and built-in ad blocking, currently serves around 300 million active users worldwide. This year, they made a bold move by embedding AI agents directly into their browser through a project called Opera Neon.

“Could the agentic browser become the new operating system?” Lexow pondered during our conversation. “That’s a big, open question.”

Regardless of how that question shakes out, Opera is confident about one thing: the future of the internet.

“The next version of the internet will be agentic,” Lexow states. “At this point, that’s almost undeniable.”

That’s a seismic transformation. Today’s internet is user-driven: you type queries, scan results, click links, fill forms, book trips, and make purchases. You’re the one in control — you're the agent.

But in an agentic internet, you delegate those tasks. Instead of micromanaging each step, you simply say, “Order the same underwear I bought half a year ago.” Your AI agent then activates: it recalls your purchase history, formulates a plan, searches for the product, compares prices, adds it to your cart, checks out — and reports back when the job is done.

In this world, the browser — potentially powered by AI — becomes a personal digital assistant, amplifying your productivity.

But will the browser be the primary gateway to this AI-powered future?

Perplexity certainly seems to think so, given its repeated and ongoing efforts to acquire a browser — efforts that, so far, haven’t succeeded. Opera agrees, not just because it already owns a browser, but because it’s been aggressively innovating in this space.

Opera first introduced AI into its browser in 2023 with ARIA, a feature that enabled contextual, GPT-powered conversations within web pages. That initiative has since evolved into a three-pillar strategy under the Opera Neon brand:

1. Neon Chat: An AI-powered chat layer embedded in the browser, offering real-time, context-aware assistance — like ChatGPT, but seamlessly integrated into your browsing session.
2. Neon Do: An active agent that performs tasks for you, such as searching for and purchasing items on Amazon, all executed within your local browser environment.
3. Neon Make: A generative workspace where users can build web apps, games, or comparison tools using cloud-based AI agents.

For many of us, the browser is already the central hub of our digital lives. I’m writing this piece in one. I recorded the interview in a browser. My research, editing, and even podcast artwork creation (shoutout to Canva) all happened within browser tabs.

Opera’s core argument is simple: AI agents are far more effective when embedded where your work already takes place. They gain access to your browsing history, open tabs, logged-in accounts, and active workflows — all of which provide rich context.

“You’re signed into your services, your tabs are open, your history is there,” Lexow explains. “All of that becomes context — the foundation for an agent to act on your behalf.”

Crucially, Opera Neon’s AI runs locally on your device. This means the agent belongs to you, not the company or your employer. Local processing enhances privacy — a vital consideration when entrusting an AI with sensitive data, including login credentials and payment details.

“When AI memory combines with browser context, it becomes incredibly powerful,” Lexow says. “It doesn’t just understand what you want — it learns how you want it done.”

Of course, this isn’t the only possible future.

Apple, despite Siri’s limitations, likely envisions a different path. Google, with Gemini and its vast ecosystem of Android devices, has its own strategy. Microsoft’s Copilot offers another take. And OpenAI, with ChatGPT available across mobile and desktop platforms, may see AI integration unfolding in yet another way.

So, will the browser become the central hub of our agentic AI future? It’s still uncertain. As the old saying goes: to someone with only a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.

But personally, I’d place my bet on the browser. It just makes sense.

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