Opera One, the AI-based browser, introduces a program to release AI features for beta testers

Opera One, the company’s artificial intelligence (AI)-based browser, is launching a new AI Features Drop program, which it announced on March 8. The program will allow users who sign up to access the developer build of the browser and test the new feature before it becomes available to the general public. Opera One’s AI features are built natively, as the company has its own AI engine called Composer AI. The company recently announced that it will launch an iOS app for the browser in Europe following the entry into force of the DMA guidelines.

According to editorial post by Opera, the AI ​​Features Drop program has been launched to provide users with experimental features for testing before a global release. Users will need to register for the program to be eligible to receive the updates. Also, the updates will only be available in the developer browser build. The company said new features will be rolled out every two weeks.

Krystian Kolondra, EVP at Opera, said during the announcement, “AI is moving fast and so are we. We’ve started the AI ​​Feature Drops program to let people test our latest AI research, which may or may not make it to the official Opera One release. We are excited to allow our most engaged users to test and share their feedback and suggestions with us.”

The reason Opera needs a program like this is because it naturally adds new AI features to the browser. Some other browsers, such as the Brave browser, only add a chatbot skin that is powered by existing third-party AI models and does not have any internal AI features. Opera One has its Composer AI engine that powers the Aria chatbot and all the other AI features in the app. It is located on the side panel and can help users by answering queries, generating text for essays and emails, writing code, drawing routes, and more. The chatbot is also connected to the internet and can provide real-time information.

However, the underlying model behind Aria was not developed by the browser. It uses the GPT API, which the company calls a “leading GPT-based solution,” which is then used to add new capabilities to the chatbot. Opera One launched in April 2023 as an AI-driven redesign of the classic Opera browser.