2025: The Year AI Browsers Changed the Web
The browser is evolving from passive display surface to active participant that understands context and tasks. Now all major players are investing in AI-native web experiences.
Published: January 11, 2026 | Reading time: 5 minutes
Summary
AI browsers are emerging as the next step in how we use the web. Over the past year, the browser has evolved from primarily displaying pages to becoming an active layer that understands context, tasks and intentions.
From Passive Display to Active Participant
Over the past year, the browser has evolved from primarily displaying pages to becoming a more active layer that can understand context, tasks and intentions in the user's workflow. Several players have been early movers in this direction.
The shift underway is about context becoming as important as content – and that's where the real change is happening.
The Major AI Browsers of 2025
Perplexity Comet
Perplexity launched Comet, an AI-native browser where search, summaries and contextual understanding are built directly into the browsing experience. Instead of switching between search engine and browser, everything is integrated in the same interface.
Microsoft Edge + Copilot
Microsoft has deeply integrated Copilot into Microsoft Edge, where the sidebar can read the content on the current page, summarize, explain and help the user take action. The AI understands what you're looking at and can assist in real-time.
ChatGPT Atlas (OpenAI)
OpenAI has introduced ChatGPT Atlas, which focuses on understanding the user's ongoing work and automating workflows on top of existing web pages and systems. Atlas acts as an intelligent assistant that follows along with your work.
Google Disco (Labs Experiment)
Now Google has joined with Disco, an experiment within Google Labs. Disco is not a standalone new browser but an experimental generative web app experience built on Chromium. Here Google is testing how AI can read open tabs, interpret the user's goals and create new, temporary views directly in the browser.
Google Disco: GenTabs and AI-Generated Tabs
A central part of Google Disco is GenTabs – AI-generated tabs that function as small web apps created based on the user's task and the open pages, with clear links back to the sources.
It's important to understand what Disco is not:
- It is neither a complete business system nor a full-scale agent platform
- It does not replace dedicated apps, backend systems or deep domain-specific logic
- Rather, it is a UX layer that moves an AI-driven interpretation layer closer to the user
What Does This Mean for Businesses and AEO?
In a larger perspective, this is a logical next step as AI has become better at understanding content, context and tasks. The question then becomes where the intelligence should reside – in separate apps, in the operating system or in the browser.
Much now points to the browser being a natural place since so much digital work takes place there.
Requirements for Visibility in AI Browsers
- Clear structure: Semantic HTML and machine-readable information
- Structured data: JSON-LD markup according to Schema.org
- Deep domain knowledge: Content that answers real questions
- Traceability and control: Transparency around how AI systems use the content
AI browsers like Comet, Atlas and Disco can streamline everyday work and lower barriers, but they do not replace well-designed AI systems or specialized tools. Google's Disco should therefore be interpreted as a clear signal about direction, rather than a finished breakthrough.
Context is the New Content
The shift underway is about context becoming as important as content. AI browsers don't just read what's on a page – they interpret why the user is there and what they're trying to accomplish.
For businesses that want to be visible in this new reality, good content is no longer enough. It requires:
- Structured data that helps AI understand the meaning of content
- Clear answers to specific questions users ask
- Context about use cases – not just what the product does, but how and why
Ready for the AI Browser Era?
AI browsers are changing how users interact with the web. Ensure your content is optimized for this new reality.