Opera's Neon shows just how confusing AI browsers still are

"The trick to understanding Opera's Neon browser is recognizing that it's not just a browser with an AI bot added to it, but a browser with three AI bots all living side by side. This is both a strength and a weakness, because while you don't have to leave to do all the AI things you want, knowing where to go for which AI tasks can be really confusing."

"It's got features like a built-in ad blocker and VPN, and a sidebar you can power up with apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. The AI features are placed front and center on the home and new tab screens. Under the search bar is a toggle with four settings: a regular internet search; a chatbot called Chat; an agentic browser-controlling agent called Do; and an AI building agent called Make."

Neon integrates three distinct AI modes—Chat, Do, and Make—into a single Opera browser, with AI functionality prominent on the home and new-tab screens. The browser includes built-in ad blocking, a VPN, and a sidebar for messaging apps. Under the search bar, a toggle switches between regular search, a chatbot (Chat), an agentic browser controller (Do), and an AI app builder (Make). Opera says Neon uses models from OpenAI and Google but does not specify mappings. Neon charges $19.90 per month and enters a crowded market of AI browsers, trading free availability for a paid, consolidated AI experience. The consolidation simplifies access but can make task routing confusing.

Read at The Verge