Chrome for PC Will Receive Three Major AI Updates
As AI infiltrates seemingly every new mobile app , it’s easy to forget that it’s also built into the apps we’ve all been using for years. Google today announced three new AI features coming to the desktop version of Chrome that, while a bit subdued, are designed to make everyday browsing more seamless.
Google Lens is coming to desktop
First, there is a feature that has already been available on mobile devices since 2017: Google Lens . The basis of the search circle , Google Lens allows users to tap on an object in an image to quickly search Google Images for visual matches. Desktop users will now be able to click the new Lens icon in the address bar to do the same.
There’s also a circle for searching related technologies: in addition to simply clicking on an object, you’ll be able to drag a box over a specific part of the image you want to find. Google offers an option that may be useful for students watching math. lecture who need help with a specific equation.
Once you’ve searched for part of an image, you can also use the existing multiple search feature to ask Gemini additional questions about your search. For example, you can use Google Lens to find a type of plant and then ask Gemini for instructions on how to care for that plant.
Use AI to Compare Stores
Outside of Lens, comparison shopping will also become easier. If you’ve ever had multiple tabs open when trying to compare different phone cases or Bluetooth speakers, you know how annoying it can be to switch between them to check things like features and prices. Google promises that Chrome users in the US will soon be able to get Gemini to create a comparison table that will show images, prices, user reviews and basic summaries of all similar products in open tabs, all on one page. Google said it could even see a future version of this feature that would be useful for planning travel or figuring out which university to attend, although it all starts with purchases (which are likely easier to monetize than the college selection process).
Search your browser history using natural language
Finally, Google wants to make it easier for you to pick up where you left off by letting you use artificial intelligence to search your browser history. The idea is that instead of having to remember URLs, you can visit your search history and ask a question in the chat interface like “What was that ice cream store I looked at last week?” Chrome will then detect all matching sites.
Google says it will exclude sites browsed in incognito mode from AI searches, and a Google spokesperson told Lifehacker that your browsing history will not be used to train Gemini. This feature will also be enabled: Users will need to go to Settings > You & Google > Sync & Google Services > Other Google Services > AI-powered History Search to enable it.
Google Lens for desktop will launch globally in the “latest Chrome update coming in the next few days,” while tab comparison and AI-powered history search will be exclusive to the US at first. There’s no set schedule for “tab comparison,” as Google calls it, but AI-powered search history is set for the “coming weeks.” All three features use cloud-based AI models rather than relying on your device’s own computing power.