According to ExtremeTech, Google is turning its experimental Chrome AI Mode into a native tool within the browser, a change already visible in the bleeding-edge Chrome Canary build. The feature no longer opens a Google Search page but instead runs on an internal address called chrome://contextual-tasks, creating a dedicated interface. This new hub combines a chat box for questions, a side panel for adding images or uploading files, and the ability to generate images. In tests, the AI answered a query like “What is the date today” and then proactively asked a follow-up question about holidays, continuing the conversation when the user typed “yes.” The interface remains unfinished, with placeholder labels like “[i18n] Ask Google…”, and Google has not indicated when it might reach regular Chrome users.
Chrome gets chattier
This is a significant shift. Instead of AI being a feature you occasionally visit, it’s becoming a persistent, integrated layer of the browser itself. The move to chrome://contextual-tasks is the tell. That’s an internal Chrome address, which means Google is building this as a core browser component, not just a website it loads. It wants the AI to feel as native as your bookmarks bar or settings page. And the fact that it’s handling files and images in the same chat thread is a big deal. It’s not just a text-based Q&A bot anymore; it’s positioning itself as a central workspace assistant.
The good, the bad, the unfinished
So, what’s the experience like? Well, it’s promising but clearly early. The proactive follow-up question about holidays is interesting—it shows Google wants this to feel like a conversation, not just a command line. That’s the dream, right? A helpful assistant that anticipates what you might need next. But the placeholder text and “rough around the edges” reports are a stark reminder. This is Canary software, which is famously unstable. It’s a sandbox for ideas. The real test will be how this scales and performs when millions of regular users potentially hit it. Will it be fast? Will it be useful beyond simple demos? Those are open questions.
A browser battle is coming
Here’s the thing: every major browser is now an AI browser. Microsoft has Copilot deeply woven into Edge. Apple is bringing Apple Intelligence to Safari. This Chrome move is Google’s counter-punch. By making AI Mode native, it’s betting that deep integration and a seamless workflow—chat, files, images all in one place—will win users over. For developers and enterprises, this is another platform to watch. If this becomes a primary way people interact with Chrome, it could influence how web apps are built or how internal tools are accessed. Basically, the address bar might not be the main way you talk to your browser for much longer. The chat box is coming for its job.
