The Browser Company, which makes Arc Browser for both desktop and mobile, unveiled a new web browser called Dia on Monday. This time we're focusing on AI tools. Over the past few years, the company has released Arc on Mac and Windows and Arc Search on iOS and Android, but the company is starting to develop new products with broader appeal.
This browser is expected to be released in early 2025. The startup has launched a new website with videos about the browser and a list of various roles available within the company.
“AI does not exist as an app or button. We believe this will be an entirely new environment built on top of your web browser,” the browser's site says.
In a video, The Browser Company CEO Josh Miller showed off an early prototype of some of its features. One demo shows a tool that works with the insertion cursor to help you write the next sentence or pull facts from the Internet when writing about known subjects, such as the launch and specs of the original iPhone. The tool appears to understand browser windows and can also capture Amazon links opened by users and insert basic instructions into emails.
In the second demo, users can type commands in the address bar to retrieve a document based on its description, email it to someone based on the preferred email client they use in their browser, or access their calendar. Indicates that you can perform various actions, such as scheduling a meeting. Through natural language prompts.
Some of these features sound like things that browser-based writing and calendaring tools already do, so you won't know how useful or unique they are until you actually use Dia.
The third demo is more ambitious. It shows the browser performing an action on the user's behalf, such as adding an item from an emailed list to an Amazon cart. Dia independently browses Amazon, finds these items, and adds them to her cart. In the demo, the listing includes an “all-purpose hammer,” and the auto-browse feature adds an Amazon listing with two hammers with grips. I don't know if it's the right choice, but it's likely that you won't make the perfect decision every time the first time, and we've already experienced that with the Rabbit R1.
Another example shows the browser pointing to a Notion table filled with details of the members of the video shoot. Dia can send emails to each participant individually.
Browser companies aren't the only ones looking to build AI assistants that understand interfaces and perform tasks on your behalf. Multiple startups have demos, concepts, and visions for AI models and tools that can control screens.
In a video last month, Miller hinted at developing new products for the masses, but made it clear to current users that he doesn't intend to significantly interfere with Arc's design or mechanics. Miller acknowledged that while Arc has a loyal and growing user base, its complexity may not appeal to everyone. The challenge for the company will be to develop a browser with AI features that work seamlessly and potentially generate a revenue stream.