I Let Google's ‘Auto Browse’ AI Agent Take Over Chrome. It Didn't Quite Click

I’ll admit it. I like clicking around. So, while testing Google’s new “Auto Browse” feature for Chrome, I was filled with a strange sense of loss as I watched the AI agent open browser tabs and attempt to complete digital tasks with automated clicks.

Sure, I felt some loss of control as the bot tapped away on my laptop screen. But also a kind of preemptive nostalgia for how the internet currently works, flaws and all, considering Google’s plans to fundamentally alter the user experience.

Google released Auto Browse this week to US users who subscribe to its AI Pro and AI Ultra plans. Though it's a limited release at first, Google’s core pitch appears to be an eventual reformation of the web—if the bot successfully earns user trust. A web that’s ruled by automated browser bots and designed to cater to their ...