Jack Wallen / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET
When The Browser Company announced they were ending Arc and developing an agentic browser that could leverage AI in ways other browsers were not, I was skeptical. I was starting to see the value in AI, but using it in such a way seemed like just another crutch for users to lean on -- so they didn't have to take the time to do those things themselves.
I also saw it as a possible security and privacy issue.
Also: Love Arc browser? You can get early access to its new AI-powered replacement
And then I was accepted into the Dia beta program. After installing Dia on my MacBook, I saw it in action, and, well, it's impressive. Really impressive.
What is Dia?
Dia is a web browser based on Chromium. On the surface, it looks like Chromium, which means The Browser Company didn't take the Arc aesthetic as a baseline for how the browser would look and function. There are no vertical tabs, no spaces, no theming. As far as the naked eye is concerned, it's just another Chrome-like browser. Yee haw.
What is an agentic browser?
An agentic browser is a type of web browser designed to enhance user experience by automating tasks and improving workflow through the use of artificial intelligence.
Also: Opera teases Neon, its first agentic browser - join the waitlist to try it
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