Google is adding its Gemini AI assistant to Chrome, the company announced at Google I/O on Tuesday.
Initially, Gemini will be able to “clarify complex information on any webpage you’re reading or summarize information,” according to a blog post from Google Labs and Gemini VP Josh Woodward.
In the demo, D’Silva pulled up Gemini Live in Chrome to help navigate a recipe site.
D’Silva asked Gemini to scroll to the ingredients, and the AI zipped to that part of the page.
In Google’s selected demos, Gemini in Chrome seems like it could occasionally be useful, especially with comparison tables or in-the-moment ingredient conversions.
At Google I/O on Tuesday, the company revealed that Chrome will now support its Gemini AI assistant.
According to a blog post by Josh Woodward, vice president of Gemini and Google Labs, Gemini will initially be able to “clarify complex information on any webpage you’re reading or summarize information.”. In the future, Google hopes that Chrome’s Gemini will “work across multiple tabs and navigate websites on your behalf.”. “”.
During a briefing prior to Tuesday’s announcement, I witnessed a demo. There is a tiny sparkle icon in the upper right corner of Chrome. A Gemini chatbot window will open when you click that; it has a floating user interface that you can resize and move. You can then ask questions concerning the website.
The demonstration involved Charmaine D’Silva, a director of product management on the Chrome team, opening a page for a sleeping bag at REI and selecting a suggested Gemini prompt to enumerate the main characteristics of the bag. Gemini quickly summarized the bag after reading the entire page. In response to D’Silva’s question about whether the sleeping bag was a good choice for camping in Maine, Gemini in Chrome retrieved data from the internet and the REI page.
Subsequently, D’Silva requested Gemini to compare the two sleeping bags to a shopping page on the website of another retailer. In addition, Gemini provided a table of comparisons.
At the beginning, you can continue talking to Gemini while switching between tabs. Gemini in Chrome, however, will enable you to select multiple tabs at once and ask a question about each one “later in the year.”.
D’Silva also demonstrated a future feature that will be accessible: navigating websites with Gemini. In the demonstration, D’Silva used Chrome’s Gemini Live feature to guide users through a recipe website. When D’Silva instructed Gemini to navigate to the ingredients section of the page, the AI quickly navigated there. Additionally, it responded when D’Silva requested assistance converting the necessary quantity of sugar from cups to grams.
According to Google’s chosen demonstrations, Gemini in Chrome appears to have the potential to be helpful at times, particularly when it comes to comparison tables or real-time ingredient conversions. Given that AI is capable of hallucinating false information, I would much rather read the website or conduct my own research than read Gemini’s AI summaries.
Tabriz states that while the company is currently “very focused on desktop,” “it’s an area that we’ll think about” bringing Gemini to mobile Chrome. “”.
Correction, May 20th: Despite what we first reported, Gemini in Chrome can continue a conversation as you switch between tabs.
