Opera introduces privacy-focused local AI agent, Browser Operator, for web automation
Mar 3, 2025 at 7:34 PM

Opera introduces privacy-focused local AI agent, Browser Operator, for web automation

Opera has unveiled a new AI-agent feature called Browser Operator, which is currently in the testing phase. This tool is integrated directly into the Opera browser and is designed to assist users with several web tasks at the same time. Unlike traditional cloud-based AI systems, Browser Operator operates locally within the browser, using the DOM Tree and browser layout data for more efficient task execution.

It automates activities such as online shopping and form filling while prioritizing user privacy and control by keeping all data, including browsing history and logins, stored on the user's device. Browser Operator offers a privacy-first approach, ensuring no data is transmitted to third parties, including Opera servers.

Users can interact with this feature through the Opera sidebar or Command Line, providing simple prompts for task execution. It handles popups, cookies, and verification dialogs by engaging with invisible page elements. Sensitive operations, such as entering payment information, require user input to maintain data privacy. Part of Opera's AI Feature Drop program, Browser Operator is available as a preview, with plans for broader distribution.

Mar 3, 2025 by Mauricio B. Holguin

MORE ABOUT: #Web Browsers#Ad Blockers#Opera
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Opera is a web browser offering advanced features such as a built-in VPN for enhanced privacy, an ad blocker, Speed Dial, AI integration, cloud sync, and extensive extensions. Designed for diverse devices, Opera aims to optimize user experience with capabilities like limiting RAM usage. It holds a rating of 3.3. Users often explore alternatives like Mozilla Firefox, Vivaldi, and Brave.

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Comments

Asumeh
•Mar 4, 2025
0

Jumping the gun on the latest AI trends again...

Oh, and FYI: Our approach to Browser Operator focuses on empowering users while preserving their privacy. Yeah... You can't say that if you're a Chinese firm owning the browser.

(I know it doesn't make sense bringing this up right now since the same remark can be made many times against Opera's so-called "privacy-focused" features. I only did so because I figured the Chinese doesn't play nice in terms of privacy.)

UserPower
•Mar 3, 2025
0

The current preview can only browse the actual visited website, and, as all "operators" (i.e. LLM crawlers), is very very slow (since it can pretty much navigate through the whole website until it can answer the query) and has no additional context but rely on website navigation accessibility. Also, I don't buy the "privacy" argument because it means the tool has access to very little knowledge making it pretty useless, but because operators are extremely expensive to train (because they must adapt at every page, and are mostly trained on a limited subset of popular websites) and to execute, and since Opera isn't overwhelmed by cash, they prefer to throw a half-baked local tool they have very limited room to improve. But, at least, we're slowly transitioning from cloud to local computing, where we can have more control on data, with no hidden costs, and simply be able to check if the tool is running or not (just looking at CPU peaks when no NPU available).

Gu