Google's AI-powered 'Auto Browse' feature for Chrome aims to revolutionize the web by automating browser tasks. The tool, currently available only to users who subscribe to Google's $20-a-month AI Pro and AI Ultra plans, uses an AI agent to open tabs and complete digital tasks with automated clicks. However, a recent hands-on test of the feature revealed that it still has significant room for improvement.
When testing Auto Browse, I was initially excited by its potential to simplify browsing but quickly became frustrated as the tool struggled to deliver accurate results. A prompt to book tickets to the SF symphony resulted in two seats being selected from separate rows, rather than a single pair of adjacent seats. Similarly, when asking Auto Browse to find a leather jacket on Depop, it picked three options without demonstrating any discernible understanding of personal style.
A camping trip planning task also ended in disappointment as the tool failed to efficiently search for suitable campsites within a three-hour drive from San Francisco. In each instance, I had to intervene and take over, using my own judgment to correct the mistakes made by Auto Browse.
The experience highlighted the limitations of relying solely on AI tools for browsing tasks. While they excel at technical aspects, such as searching and completing forms, they often lack the nuance and common sense that humans take for granted. The post-click internet, where humans are gradually ceded control to machines, risks losing the very essence of online exploration and discovery.
Google's efforts to harness AI for seamless browsing may ultimately lead to a more efficient experience, but for now, it seems that users will still need to balance technology with their own intuition and decision-making. As I concluded during my tests: "My meandering quests through the internet’s backwoods are certainly not the most efficient journeys... But they remain delightful to me, and I would never want to outsource that joy completely to a browser bot."
When testing Auto Browse, I was initially excited by its potential to simplify browsing but quickly became frustrated as the tool struggled to deliver accurate results. A prompt to book tickets to the SF symphony resulted in two seats being selected from separate rows, rather than a single pair of adjacent seats. Similarly, when asking Auto Browse to find a leather jacket on Depop, it picked three options without demonstrating any discernible understanding of personal style.
A camping trip planning task also ended in disappointment as the tool failed to efficiently search for suitable campsites within a three-hour drive from San Francisco. In each instance, I had to intervene and take over, using my own judgment to correct the mistakes made by Auto Browse.
The experience highlighted the limitations of relying solely on AI tools for browsing tasks. While they excel at technical aspects, such as searching and completing forms, they often lack the nuance and common sense that humans take for granted. The post-click internet, where humans are gradually ceded control to machines, risks losing the very essence of online exploration and discovery.
Google's efforts to harness AI for seamless browsing may ultimately lead to a more efficient experience, but for now, it seems that users will still need to balance technology with their own intuition and decision-making. As I concluded during my tests: "My meandering quests through the internet’s backwoods are certainly not the most efficient journeys... But they remain delightful to me, and I would never want to outsource that joy completely to a browser bot."
. I mean, I get that AI's getting better and all, but there's still this huge gap between what it can do and what we humans take for granted 
. Like, who hasn't had an experience where they're trying to find something on the web and the result is way off? It sounds like Auto Browse was struggling with that too... I'd rather have a human-in-the-loop approach to browsing, you know? That way, I can still enjoy the discovery process without having to micromanage every little thing 
. Maybe Google just needs to tweak it some more and we'll be golden 
Auto Browse is like trying to ask Siri to plan an entire road trip 
- it's got some cool features but still needs a lot of work 
! 
When I tested it, I was stoked to see it do some sick auto-clicks 
but then got super frustrated when it messed up 
. Like, how hard is it to find me that one leather jacket on Depop? 
The camping trip planning task was a total letdown too... why didn't it know I wanted to stay within a 3hr drive from SF? 
. There's something magical about discovering random things on the internet 
- it's like stumbling upon a hidden gem 
! We should be using our own judgment and intuition when browsing, not relying on bots to do everything for us 
. My meandering online adventures might not be efficient 
but they're definitely delightful 
. I mean, I get why they wanna use AI for all the tiny tasks, but what about when you're trying to find something that requires a bit of thought? Like, I tried to ask it to find a leather jacket and it just picked three random options without even considering my style 
. It's like having a robot friend who just can't understand what you want 
.
It's not exactly rocket science, but apparently Auto Browse needs some help with that too 
.
I mean, who expects a browser to know the difference between seats in a row? 
And don't even get me started on fashion sense... it's all about personal style, not just algorithms 
. But at the same time, I can see how it could be useful for people who want to streamline their browsing experience. Maybe they'll improve it, but for now, I'm happy to still explore the internet my own way 
.
. I mean, who wants their browser deciding what seats to buy at the symphony or what jacket to get on Depop? 
. I mean, don't get me wrong, having an AI do all the legwork sounds appealing, but we can't just rely on machines to make decisions for us. There's this human touch that makes browsing so much more enjoyable and rewarding – it's like discovering a new hidden gem in your browser history