Opera introduces WebAI to run AI models directly in its browser

In short: Opera has announced WebAI, a new web standard that lets AI run locally inside its browser instead of in the cloud.

What happened

Opera, the company behind the Opera web browser, introduced WebAI, which it describes as a new web standard for running AI models directly in the browser. “AI models” are the software brains behind features like writing text or sorting content.

In simple terms, this aims to let your computer do the AI work itself, rather than sending your request to a company’s remote computers, which are often called “the cloud” (think of it like using a call center instead of handling the task at home). Opera says WebAI is designed to work with different AI models, and is not tied to just one provider.

Opera named Google’s Gemma as one example of an “open-weight” model, meaning the main settings that make it work are shared publicly, so others can use and adapt it, within rules. On Mac computers, Opera says WebAI also supports Apple’s on-device foundation model.

The company is offering these features as an early preview in Opera One. Opera says Opera GX and Opera Neon will get similar support soon. Users have to opt in, which means the feature is off unless you choose to turn it on.

Why it matters

For regular users, local AI can improve privacy because your text or data may not need to be sent to a company’s servers. It can also reduce the need for paid AI subscriptions. The trade-off is that running AI on your own device can use more computer power, so speed and quality may depend on your hardware.

Source: TechCrunch AI