Opera’s new AI browser promises to write code while you sleep

The latest web browser coming to Opera’s roster embraces AI agents that aim to use the internet for you. The Norwegian tech company describes Opera Neon as an “agentic browser” that has contextual awareness and performs tasks on the users’ behalf, including researching, building, and designing whatever you need.

Oddly, Opera announced a Neon browser in 2017 that never took off. We’ll see if it’s more successful this time.

“We’re at a point where AI can fundamentally change the way we use the internet and perform all sorts of tasks in the browser,” Opera senior AI product director Henrik Lexow said in the company’s press release. “Opera Neon brings this to our users’ fingertips.”

A notable early adopter feature is an AI engine that Opera says is “capable of understanding and interpreting” what users request, and then making it with the help of cloud-based AI agents. For example, Opera says that Neon can make games, reports, code snippets, and websites, and can work on multiple tasks even when the user has gone offline.

Opera hasn’t mentioned when this will launch or how much Neon will cost, beyond it being described as a “premium subscription product,” so there’s currently little information available to back up what the browser is supposedly capable of.

Otherwise, Neon offers AI tools similar to those found in Microsoft’s Copilot and OpenAI’s Operator. Opera says that Neon users can use a chatbot interface to search the web, answer queries, and get “contextual information” from the webpage they have open. Opera Neon also features an AI Agent that Opera previously introduced back in March as “Browser Operator,” which allows users to automate routine web tasks, such as shopping, filling in online forms, and booking events or accommodation. Opera says the tool interacts with web page content locally on the browser to preserve privacy and security.

Details about Neon are currently slim, which is the fifth browser in Opera’s quiver, after announcing its mindfulness-focused Air browser in February. We will know more about Opera Neon’s real-world capabilities when it fully rolls out into beta — when, is anyone’s guess as the company won’t provide us a firm date. You can sign up for the waitlist here.