More Than Just a Browser: Microsoft Edge Aims to Be Your AI-Powered Web Copilot

To keep pace with the 2024 artificial intelligence (AI) race, Microsoft has decided to undergo another brand transformation, this time targeting its browser. The company has officially resolved to rename the Edge browser on Android and iOS to “Microsoft Edge: AI Browser”. This rebranding effort is aimed at highlighting the browser’s AI capabilities and will gradually be rolled out to all users.

For almost every tech company, this year AI has been a pivotal focus. More companies are introducing their own AI tools, and various events are being tied to AI wherever possible. For instance, Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S24 series smartphone launch is heavily promoting the “Galaxy AI Era”. Microsoft’s approach seems justifiable as it simply follows the industry trend, much like its peers.

Despite the rebranding to “Microsoft Edge: AI Browser”, the browser’s overall functionality remains largely unchanged from the previous version of Edge. However, Microsoft may gradually integrate additional AI features. Notably, just a few days ago, Microsoft released the Copilot application for Android and iOS users.

Some users have expressed dissatisfaction with Microsoft’s decision, criticizing the management’s decisions around the Edge browser as flawed. They perceive that when presented with two options, the company seemingly chooses the worse one. Others argue that Microsoft doesn’t need to resort to highlighting the term ‘AI’ as a marketing tactic. This approach seems designed to draw attention to the product’s or service’s AI capabilities. Yet, if these features do not perform as expected, such a strategy could backfire and attract criticism.