Opera Is Also Adding ChatGPT Extension To its Web Browser

The Opera has also shared plans for integrating ChatGPT. Its parent company, the Chinese brand Kunlun Tech, first announced its plans on Wednesday with few details. However, the Norway-based Opera has since revealed some of the details of how its ChatGPT-based browser will work.

“AI-generated content services to the browser sidebar,” Opera said in a press release.

Opera’s implementation of ChatGPT into its browser quickly follows news of Microsoft adopting OpenAI’s system into its own browser, as well as Google announcing its proprietary Bard AI tool. Browser- and search engine-associated companies have taken a special interest in the AI popularity surge, especially with ChatGPT having started as a browser-based tool.

Microsoft is the first application that is offering a waitlist for its ChatGPT-powered version of Bing. Google’s Bard AI isn’t out yet, but Google says it’s testing the service now as a crop of ChatGPT alternatives starts to pop up.

The announcement of Shorten comes in the same week that Microsoft said it was redesigning Edge to add an “AI-powered copilot” to the browser. Among the things the company’s new Prometheus model can do is summarize web pages.

This past week also saw Google share that it’s working on Bard, an AI chatbot powered by its LaMDA platform. The timing of the announcements suggests Opera and Microsoft see generative AI as a way to break Google’s hold on the browser market. However, whether people actually switch away from Chrome as a result of those additions remains to be seen.

Other features include those that will work with the browsers to simplify their functions, such as a “Shorten” button in the address bar. This will allow AI to fashion a summary of a webpage or article. Overall, Opera is aiming to develop tools that will help users filter through the explosion of content that is expected due to the onset of generators such as ChatGPT.

Other companies that have their own AI tools planned in the near future include Baidu and Alibaba, CNBC said.

Opera had approximately 321 million users in the third quarter of 2022, with ChatGPT daily users crossing over 100 million in early February. With a 2.4% market share and the sixth most used browser globally, AI integration tools might help Opera ensure its keeps pace with competitors like Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge.

It remains to be seen how the introduction of new options and the implementation of ChatGPT onto other platforms will affect its use on its primary hub. The text generator continues to have its own challenges, such as consistently overloaded servers, its upcoming premium pricing options, and now the threat of the chatbot being used to create malware.

However, OpenAI’s collaborations with various companies could potentially increase the number of users of its technology without people having to access the platform. ChatGPT hit a 100 million user milestone in early February, with approximately 13 million unique visitors daily in January, according to Reuters.

Opera saw approximately 321 million users in the third quarter of 2022. It is the sixth most popular browser globally with a 2.4% market share. In comparison, Google Chrome has a global market share of 65.4%, and Microsoft Edge had a 4.5% market share, according to Statcounter.