Microsoft is testing a new Copilot Mode inside its Edge browser that turns it into a multitasking AI concierge, the tech giant announced today, as rivals charge ahead with AI-powered browsers and search features.
The experimental feature brings the Copilot chatbot directly into the browsing experience, allowing it to scan all open tabs and assist with tasks like booking a dinner reservation, comparing hotels, or choosing the best product to buy, marking Microsoft’s latest push to redefine how people browse and shop online.
It’s “our first step in reinventing the browser for the AI age,” Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said on X.Â
Microsoft’s announcement comes on the heels of Google integrating its Gemini AI assistant into Chrome, as the company faces antitrust scrutiny over its search dominance. Meanwhile, AI-native challengers like Perplexity have already launched their own browsers—such as Comet—and OpenAI is reportedly developing a similar product. (Microsoft has invested $13 billion in OpenAI.)
The AI-powered mode also supports voice navigation, letting users jump to specific locations on a webpage or a particular timestamp in a YouTube video. It can also surface and compare products across multiple open tabs. The browser mirrors how Perplexity operates, offering capabilities to complete purchases on behalf of users.
The update underscores how major tech platforms are rushing to embed transactional capabilities into AI tools, with the browser quickly becoming the next frontier for AI-driven commerce. At the same time, brands are rethinking their search strategies to remain visible in these new ecosystems—where AI assistants bypass traditional SEO and direct users straight to a purchase.