Browser Operator: Opera gets integrated AI agent

The Opera browser is getting a native AI agent that will change the browsing experience. A paradigm shift, says the provider from Norway.

The Browser Operator

(Image: Opera)

Mar 5, 2025 at 9:31 am CET

3 min. read

By

Eva-Maria Weiß

AI agents are currently being released by all major AI providers. Opera has now also announced its intention to integrate one into its browser – the Browser Operator. According to Opera, this makes it the first browser to natively integrate an AI agent. AI providers such as OpenAI and Perplexity, on the other hand, have announced their intention to enter the browser market. Opera's AI agent works locally, which is intended to protect people's data.

Opera, like the others, is talking about a paradigm shift. This means that the browser can be operated differently in the future and will take over tasks for users. “For more than 30 years, the browser allowed you to access the internet, but it was never able to do things for you. Now it can. This is unlike anything we've seen or delivered before,” said Krystian Kolondra, responsible manager at Opera, in a press release. The browser will change from a “display engine” to an application that can take over tasks.

To this end, users will be able to communicate tasks to the browser in natural language, which it will then take over. Opera can then book you a table in a restaurant, buy socks in the right size and more. Of course. All you have to do is give it your credit card details and the relevant instructions. Needless to say, Opera, like all other AI providers, raves about how AI in the browser can take over tedious tasks and free people up for all the fun tasks that require creativity – to “use their time efficiently”.

Natively integrated AI services in Opera

The AI agent can be monitored at every step. It works directly in the browser, meaning there is no need for a server to read in. This client-side approach is also the difference to other AI agents that Opera emphasizes. It protects people's privacy. The Browser Operator is currently only available as a preview, but will soon leave this status.

Opera is known for integrating applications directly into the browser. These include Messenger in the sidebar or the VPN included. The provider from Norway is now talking about developing an AI-centered browser – including locally running language models, an image generator and tab control via AI and, with Aria, an AI assistant.