New AI-powered browsers from OpenAI and Perplexity are not yet ready to replace conventional browsers like Chrome and Safari. Natalie Lung reports for Bloomberg. Testing over a month revealed frequent bugs and failures on seemingly simple tasks.
AI browsers such as OpenAI’s Atlas and Perplexity’s Comet place chatbots at the center of the browsing experience. They offer “agentic browsing,” which allows the browser to complete multi-step tasks like shopping or extracting information from emails. These advanced features currently require paid subscriptions due to higher operating costs.
The technology still faces significant limitations. During testing, Atlas took minutes to analyze a LinkedIn post and often became stuck in loops. Both browsers frequently resort to taking screenshots to interpret visual elements. The processing demands caused test laptops to heat up noticeably.
Traditional browser makers Google, Microsoft, and Mozilla have added AI features while keeping search as the default option. “People are still using Google search for things like shopping and travel,” says Laura Chambers, CEO of Mozilla. A Mozilla survey found that 60% of users only trust generative AI for low-stakes tasks they can verify themselves.
The fundamental challenge lies in website architecture. Current websites are designed for humans, not AI agents. Linda Tong, CEO of web development tool Webflow, believes websites may need separate versions for humans and robots.
