Opera Unveils Aria: AI Side Panel to Compete with Edge Browser

Opera has unveiled its new AI-powered Aria sidebar, powered by OpenAI's ChatGPT, to help users generate text, write code, answer questions, and more.

Opera is actively testing a new AI-powered feature called Aria, which integrates into the browser’s sidebar. Aria utilizes OpenAI’s ChatGPT technology to offer users a range of capabilities, including generating text, writing code, and answering questions. This feature aims to enhance the web browsing experience by providing users with quick access to information and assistance. Users can find answers to their questions, receive coding help, and even generate text for their projects. Currently in testing, Opera plans to make Aria available to all users soon. This development is part of Opera’s ongoing commitment to delivering an exceptional browsing experience by leveraging AI technology.

Who is Aria?

Aria resides in Opera’s left sidebar, accessible by clicking its icon. The sidebar reveals a panel where users can interact with Aria. Opera’s browser AI, Aria, stands out for its real-time information capabilities sourced from the web. Additionally, Aria has the capability to answer queries about Opera itself, utilizing the browser’s extensive support documentation database.

Aria is a continuation of Opera’s efforts to enhance its AI capabilities. Opera integrated ChatGPT into its sidebar, allowing users to generate web pages and article summaries. The browser added AI prompts for convenient access to various AI tools based on web content. These prompts enable users to perform tasks such as summarizing text, creating tweets based on the content they are reading, or obtaining explanations about specific concepts. With these features, Opera aims to provide users with a more versatile and efficient browsing experience.

Is Aria copying Microsoft Edge’s steps?

Opera’s latest sidebar feature shares similarities with the AI advancements seen in Microsoft Edge. Microsoft’s browser now features an AI chatbot sidebar powered by Bing and integrates OpenAI’s DALL-E image generator. These additions allow users to conveniently access these tools while browsing the web. Microsoft plans to enhance its browser by introducing Microsoft 365 Copilot, an AI-powered tool, to offer users more AI capabilities. These developments demonstrate the growing integration of AI technologies within web browsers to enhance productivity and provide users with valuable tools and resources.

How to Access?

Access to Opera’s AI sidebar is limited to users with the latest developer version of Opera One on a desktop or the latest Opera beta on Android. By signing up for an account, users will be notified when they gain access to the tool. This approach allows Opera to control the testing and rollout of the AI sidebar while gathering feedback and improving the feature before making it available to a wider audience.