Microsoft has been making some unpopular decisions around its Edge browser lately. In keeping with this trend, the Redmond-based tech giant has now renamed the browser on iOS and Android.
Some hawk-eyed users noticed that the Redmond-based tech giant has renamed its mobile browser from just Microsoft Edge to Microsoft Edge: AI browser. This is a major sign that the company is sparing no effort to integrate AI into its products and be at the forefront of the AI space.
Microsoft has apparently decided to name Edge on Android “Microsoft Edge: AI Browser”.
I’m so deeply disappointed at every decision that Microsoft leadership makes around Edge. It’s like every time they’re presented with two options, they intentionally chose the worse option. pic.twitter.com/vKpVPXMQlj
— tierney cyren (please be nice) (@bitandbang) December 30, 2023
To recap, the American tech behemoth came under fire last year for allegedly sharing Edge users’ browsing data to personalise the Bing Chat AI (now Copilot).
Undeterred by these challenges, Microsoft has updated the browser’s listing on the App Store and Google Play Store to reflect the new AI-centric branding. It is also worth noting that the new name doesn’t seem to be just a marketing tool.
The revamped Edge browser boasts an impressive array of AI features, according to its updated App Store listing. The AI-powered browser comes with “Copilot built in to enhance your browsing experience”.
You can ask the GPT-4 powered Copilot questions and create images with DALL-E 3, which was introduced by Bing Chat last year. Notably, this AI-powered tool will come in handy for refining searches and generating comprehensive summaries.
“Microsoft Edge is a smarter way to browse, find, create and shop on the go,” the updated App Store listing says. The listing also includes images that show the newly added AI features in action.
Unlike other browsers that offer similar features, Edge comes with these AI features built-in. For instance, the bottom of the Edge browser houses a button to summon Copilot, which can perform a wide range of tasks and answer questions. Also, it allows you to use GPT-4 rather than GPT-3.5.
Is the AI upgrade mere marketing gimmick?
The new name appears to be garnering mixed reactions from Edge users, with some customers raising questions about whether Microsoft has to right to call Edge an “AI browser”.
That browser has an AI part and it’s not an AI browser. The browser is not driving by the AI.
At least no AI features yet in the browser that is directly connected to browser settings, like AI tabs naming or AI tab groupings.
Copilot AI is placed in a browser in the face of a…
— ibini (@thisisibini) December 31, 2023
Some users, however, support the new name considering you can access several extra features just by pressing the Copilot button on the toolbar although most of them are available on other browsers as well. Also, Microsoft could be gearing up to add more AI features to the Edge browser in the coming days.
Last year, Microsoft showed it is betting big on AI. In line with this, the company invested a lot of money in Sam Altman-led OpenAI to make Copilot possible. So, it doesn’t come as a surprise that Microsoft is trying to integrate and promote Copilot everywhere.
In 2024, Microsoft is expected to up its AI game by bringing the technology to its next-gen Windows OS and new Surface devices. According to data shared by Statcounter, the Edge browser on mobile has a disappointing 0.24 per cent market share.
It will be interesting to see whether adding “AI” to the name will help Microsoft encourage more people to use the Edge browser.
