Google to Add Agentic Capabilities and Other AI-Powered Features to Chrome Browser

Google said Thursday (Sept. 18) that it is building artificial intelligence into its Chrome browser.

“Today represents the biggest upgrade to Chrome in its history, as we share how we’re using the latest in Google AI to enhance your browsing experience,” Mike Torres, vice president of product, Chrome, said in a Thursday blog post.

New AI-powered features that are now available through Gemini in Chrome and other tools allow users to ask Gemini to clarify complex information on one or more webpages; work across multiple tabs to help users compare and summarize information from different websites; get information from other Google apps while the user remains on the page they are already on; and bolster the protection offered against unwanted permissions and notifications, according to the post.

In the coming months, the browser will get agentic capabilities so that users can tell it to do things like book a haircut or order groceries; will help users find webpages they previously visited; will enable users to access Google Search’s AI Mode from the Chrome address bar; will expand upon the protection currently provided by Gemini Nano to stop sites from delivering viruses or fake giveaways; and will help users change their passwords on supported sites with one click, per the post.

Google and PayPal announced Wednesday that they are collaborating on agentic shopping and commerce experiences and other initiatives to advance agentic commerce. The partnership includes embedding PayPal’s branded checkout, Hyperwallet global payout capabilities and PayPal Payouts mass payments solutions across Google’s platforms.

On Tuesday (Sept. 16), Google introduced the Agent Payments Protocol, which is designed to standardize how AI agents authorize and complete purchases, while giving banks and merchants a clean audit trail. The company framed this protocol, AP2, as a foundation for AI-driven commerce in which automated transactions carry the same accountability as human clicks.

In May, Google announced that it integrated Gemini Nano, its on-device large language model, into Chrome’s Enhanced Protection mode on desktop. The company said this model analyzes websites in real time to detect and warn users about threats such as tech support scams that use pop-ups and full-screen takeovers.