Love ’em or hate ’em, no modern browser is complete without robust tab support, and so too would it seem Google’s AI Mode. Starting today, the company is rolling out an update to users in the US that makes the tool better at interacting and understanding tabs.
To start, the next time you use AI Mode on Chrome for desktop and click on a link, the chatbot will open a new side-by-side interface that allows you to both browse the new webpage and ask questions of AI Mode. The connection allows the chatbot to maintain the context of the search that brought you to that website in the first place.
For instance, say you’re looking for a new coffee maker to buy for your apartment. After AI Mode finds a handful of different models for you to compare, you can click on one to go to the manufacturer’s website and ask additional questions of the chatbot like “how easy is this to clean?” Thanks to the expanded context window, you don’t need to refer to the specific name of the model.
Meanwhile, if you have an existing tab or group of tabs that you’d like AI Mode to factor into a new search, you can do that now too. From the redesigned Plus menu, just click the new option that’s there. While you’re in the Plus menu, you can also prompt AI Mode to consider other materials, including images and PDFs, alongside any relevant tabs.
In testing, Google says users found the integration translated to less tab switching, and made it easier to focus. Mike Torres, vice-president of product for Chrome, said the new features represent a broader effort by Google to bring practical AI capabilities to its web browser. Torres added the company would soon bring today’s updates to more places around the world.
