Chrome's AI Agent Challenges the Economics of the Open Web

Google's experiment with its 'Auto Browse' AI agent in Chrome marks a strategic escalation in the platform wars, aiming to transform the browser from an information portal into a task-execution engine. While early performance is imperfect, the initiative signals a fundamental shift in how Google intends to mediate web interaction. This move leverages Chrome's massive install base to create a new, owned channel for agentic AI, positioning the browser as the primary interface for user action.