Microsoft has just made a significant upgrade to its Edge browser, adding the new Copilot Mode, which integrates AI capabilities that enable it to search across all open tabs. As part of the process, the tech giant started to test the new experimental Copilot Mode on Monday. The development comes amid the battle between traditional search engines and AI-powered chatbots, with data analysis by onelittleweb.com showing chatbots have grown significantly by 80% between April 2024 and March 2025, with 55.2 billion visits. Microsoft targets to lead the browser market With the AI-powered mode, Copilot can now search across a user’s open tabs and handle tasks like restaurant bookings. It also brings the Copilot chatbot to a user’s new tab page. According to The Verge , Copilot Mode is between the limited Gemini integration, which search engine giant Google is currently testing in Chrome, and the AI-powered overhaul that Comet offers with its AI browser. The latest update is rolling out in version 136 of Edge to overhaul the browser from a single tool accessing websites into an AI-enabled assistant. One can allow Copilot to check all the open tabs and do a comparison of hotels one might be looking at, or help summarize the best purchase from multiple tabs. This is expected to turbo-charge Microsoft’s quest to lead in the area of web browsing, where AI is fast becoming the core, to enhance user experience and efficiency. “Copilot will soon be able to guide you in your tasks and organize your browsing — past and present — into helpful, topic-based journeys.” Sean Lyndersay, vice president of product for Microsoft Edge The new Copilot features in Edge are built on the existing integration of Microsoft’s AI assistant in its browser and the work the company has been doing with Copilot vision. Copilot in Edge is also reportedly supporting voice navigation to locate information on a website or to open tabs with products to compare. Microsoft is giving users an option According to reports, the tech giant is also planning to allow Copilot, with users’ consent, to access their Edge browser history and credentials so the chatbot can make reservation bookings on their behalf. While this enhances efficiency and offers a more personalized experience, this also raises eyebrows on privacy as well as the amount and extent of data that is being monitored by the AI. However, Microsoft has committed to data safety and privacy. “Microsoft only collects the data needed to improve your experience or that you choose to provide via Personalization settings, so you’re always in control. With Copilot Mode in Edge, your data is protected under Microsoft’s trusted privacy standards that are built to keep your information safe, secure, and never shared without your permission,” said Lyndersay. The company added that users’ browser data will also be protected under the Microsoft Privacy Statement , adding that there will be cues to show whenever Copilot is “viewing or listening.” Microsoft has also revealed that users have an option, and the new feature is being rolled out in stages. Those who are not interested in the AI-enabled mode in Edge have an option to disable it. “With Copilot Mode, you can also choose to turn the experience on and off as you wish through your Edge settings,“ Lyndersay says. “If you choose not to turn on Copilot Mode, you can continue to browse on Edge as usual.“ Lyndersay. The company is also calling this Copilot Mode an “experimental” feature that will evolve over time. Microsoft is likely to start charging for this new feature after revealing that it’s also “free for a limited time,” and with usage limits on certain co-pilot features. The update is one of the latest series of efforts by the tech giant to integrate AI across products . By integrating AI into its Edge browser, Microsoft is also betting on the opinion that a more intelligent browser will attract users in the highly competitive browser market, at a time when there is stiff competition between the traditional search engines and AI-powered chatbots. Within the AI-powered chatbot market, OpenAI’s ChatGPT still leads commanding 86.32% of total visits of the total chatbot traffic , while Google leads the search engine segment. Cryptopolitan Academy: Coming Soon - A New Way to Earn Passive Income with DeFi in 2025. Learn More
