Google Chrome will soon let Gemini AI do your browsing, posting, and even shopping

Google is looking to make its Gemini AI platform a key part of its popular Chrome browser. As detailed in a new blog post titled 'Putting Gemini to work in Chrome' by Chrome Vice President Parisa Tabriz, the browser is set to receive a new "side panel experience" that is effectively an AI assistant powered by Gemini 3. Plus, new agentic AI features.

The new side panel is set to arrive in Chrome for macOS, Windows, and Chromebook, allowing users to access Gemini while their main tab or browser window remains open. Naturally, the Gemini panel can be used to do all of the things you'd expect from the AI platform, from summarizing the content on a page to helping you manage your calendar appointments.

Gemini in Chrome also supports Google's 'Connected Apps,' integrating Gmail, Calendar, Maps, YouTube, and more. In one example of how this might work, asking Gemini to book a flight to a conference will see it find the event details from an email, check your Calendar, and then use Google Flights to offer recommendations. Integrating Gemini with other Google apps is optional, so it's not required.

Another optional feature is Personal Intelligence, where Chrome and Gemini "will remember context from past conversations so you get uniquely tailored answers to whatever you're looking for across the web." Google is also expanding Chrome's AI features with Nano Banana, which lets you transform an image directly in your browser, eliminating the need to download or upload it. Simply bring up the Gemini side panel and tell it how you want to transform the image.

Perhaps the most interesting feature is Chrome auto-browse, which will be available to AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the U.S. This agentic AI will basically do all of the browsing for you, post to your social media accounts, research vacation spots, manage subscriptions, and even get "quotes for plumbers and electricians." And yes, it can even handle your shopping thanks to Google's Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), which allows AI agents to take actions on your behalf - that is, buy stuff with your money.