Key Takeaways
Microsoft (MSFT) rolled out an AI assistant for its Edge browser Monday, as the tech giant works to compete with Alphabet’s (GOOGL) Google and others offering AI search tools.
Microsoft’s “Copilot Mode” displays a “clean, streamlined page with a single input box that brings together chat, search and web navigation,” Microsoft said in a blog post. Users can type commands into the input box, or use voice commands directly to prompt tasks like comparing travel listings pulled up across multiple tabs. Copilot Mode is currently available for free, but only for a limited time, the blog post said.
Microsoft said users will eventually be able to give Copilot Mode access to their browser history and credentials in order to complete more complex tasks. For example, a demonstration video showed a user prompting Copilot Mode to find a paddleboard rental place near their workplace—the AI assistant pulled one up, identified a day with good weather, and offered to make a booking.
AI integration has become a key area of focus for America’s search giants as the use of generative AI chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT becomes more widespread, threatening traditional search traffic. In May, Google launched AI Mode, which lets users ask questions in conversation with Gemini. AI Mode has already reached 100 million monthly active users in the U.S. and India, CEO Sundar Pichai said on Alphabet’s earnings call last week.
Analysts will get a chance to ask Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella about Copilot Mode when the company reports earnings after the closing bell Wednesday. Shares of Microsoft were little changed Monday, but have surged more than 20% in 2025.