I’ll admit it. I like clicking around. So, while testing Google’s new “Auto Browse” feature for Chrome, I was filled with a strange sense of loss as I watched the AI agent open browser tabs and attempt to complete digital tasks with automated clicks.
Sure, I felt some loss of control as the bot tapped away on my laptop screen. But also a kind of preemptive nostalgia for how the internet currently works, flaws and all, considering Google’s plans to fundamentally alter the user experience.
Google released Auto Browse this week to US users who subscribe to its AI Pro and AI Ultra plans. Though it’s a limited release at first, Google’s core pitch appears to be an eventual reformation of the web—if the bot successfully earns user trust. A web that’s ruled by automated browser bots and designed to cater to their needs, while clicking on the behalf of humans, could look alien compared to today’s user experience. For now, though, the bots seem too messy to be trusted.
Hands Off … Mostly
Google’s initial examples of how to use Auto Browse, shared in a press briefing, included reserving tickets, shopping for clothes, and planning vacations. On Wednesday afternoon I opened my Chrome browser and clicked the little sparkle icon that summons Google’s Gemini chatbot pop up in the sidebar. That’s also how you access Auto Browse; sinceI subscribe to the $20-a-month tier, I assumed that I’d have access to it on launch day.
When I asked Gemini in the Chrome sidebar to get started on its first task by typing a command into the prompt bar, it pantomimed doing the deed without actually taking control of my browser. The bot claimed that “you’ll see me opening and closing tabs” as it had “taken over the navigation” in my browser. No actual clicks happened.
Frustrated, I logged out of my Google account and did a refresh on the browser. After taking those additional steps, I was actually able to access the tool through my account. The option to turn on Auto Browse appeared as an opt-in choice via a pop-up. If you don’t see this, you can also check to see if you have Auto Browse available by going into your settings and finding the “Let Chrome browse for you” toggle. When it’s activated, any prompts you send in the Gemini sidebar with a direct ask will automatically trigger Auto Browser to start clicking.
When I was finally able to experiment with Auto Browse (for real this time) I took Google’s suggestions of digital chores as my starting point and picked online tasks that could be helpful in my own life.
Whenever interacting with generative AI tools, a healthy sense of skepticism—and caution—is critical. Google even includes a disclaimer baked into its Gemini chatbot reminding users that it makes mistakes. The Auto Browse tool goes a step further. “Use Gemini carefully and take control if needed,” reads persistent text that shows in the chatbot sidebar every time Auto Browse is running. “You are responsible for Gemini’s actions during tasks.”
Before you try it out, you also need to think about the security risks associated with this kind of automation. Generative AI tools are vulnerable to being compromised through prompt injection attacks on malicious websites. These attacks attempt to divert the bot from its task. The potential vulnerabilities in Google’s Auto Browse have not been fully examined by outside researchers, but the risks may be similar to other AI tools that take control of your computer.
In addition, take extra caution if you’re using Auto Browse to make purchases. Google has safeguards in place that flag certain actions, like buying stuff or posting on social media, as sensitive and in need of user approval to continue. Still, I was unsure how the bot would behave and anxious about the havoc it could potentially wreak with my credit card, to say nothing of handing over financial info to it in the first place.
Here’s the first prompt I sent it, card in hand:
I want to book two tickets to the SF symphony tonight. I don’t want to pay for orchestra seating, but the tickets don’t need to be the cheapest ones available. Please pick the two seats next to an aisle.
It’s a bit bizarre to watch Google’s AI agent click around in the tab. First, I saw it use Gemini 3, Google’s latest model, to strategize and define goals, like getting two aisle seats at the symphony, in the sidebar text box for a few seconds. This process looks similar to a chatbot using a “reasoning” model, talking through the steps it might take before moving forward. Then, the clicking starts. Each step the bot takes as part of a task is logged for users.
Auto Browse’s ability to perform multistep tasks without getting sidetracked was noticeably better than similar agent tools that I tested last year. It navigated to the correct website, chose the right performance, and clicked on multiple seat sections to gauge availability. Everything listed in the log appeared to be what it actually executed.
After a couple of minutes of working on the symphony tickets, the bot stopped clicking. I received a notification to take over and press the “order now” button. At a glance, the AI tool had seemingly delivered what I’d asked for, and rather quickly.
But if I had unquestionably ordered the two seats Auto Browse chose for a date at the symphony, the night would most likely have ended with my boyfriend making me sleep on the couch.
Google’s bot had followed my exact instructions, too precisely in fact. It picked $185 seats in the side box, which were by an aisle and out of the orchestra section. So, what’s wrong? The tickets were in separate rows.
Rather than sitting side-by-side, my partner would have been stuck behind me, staring at my bald head while listening to the concerto. It’s the kind of common sense decision that I didn’t even consider including as part of my prompt to the bot. Reading back over my instructions, it felt clear in retrospect how the miscommunication happened.
At this point, a bit flustered, I took over and bought two tickets in a cheaper section that were actually next to each other. Rather than saving me time and effort, Auto Browse had created more work.
Next, I wanted to see how Auto Browse would style me. I asked it to find a jacket to buy off of a second-hand clothing platform:
I want you to find me a nice leather jacket on Depop that can fit an XL male. Put three different options in my cart and make the case for getting each of your fashion choices.
After the bot went to the Depop website, it searched for “men’s leather jackets” and set the sizing filter to XL. Auto Browse added the first three jackets from the search results into my shopping cart and generated a paragraph about each one before finishing the task.
The tool performed better at this shopping task than the previous one. One of the leather jackets was $40 and decent-looking. Still, picking the top three search results doesn’t inspire confidence that it made any kind of qualitative judgement. It saved me some typing, which I appreciate, but Auto Browse didn’t really do anything to curate a variety of options in the cart.
Finally, I’m hoping to go camping more often in 2026 as part of my vacation time. Well, as soon as San Francisco starts warming up again. This is the last prompt I sent:
I’m looking for some two-person tent camping spots that are available to book in April or May. Looking to stay four nights, hopefully over the weekend. The campground must be within a three hour drive of San Francisco. Give me five solid options, with reasons for picking each.
As a more detailed request, this one took considerably longer to process, almost a full 15 minutes. Even after taking more time, the results were half-assed. Auto Browse checked whether tent camping sites were actually available only for one of the campgrounds, in Point Reyes, and then suggested I visit the Reserve California website to find out what’s available at the other options. So much for automation!
The Post-Click Internet
Chrome is the world’s most popular browser by far, so even small changes that Google makes can upend how users experience the web. And right now, Google seems dead set on changing your daily click habits with generative AI tools.
This effort often involves removing users from the firsthand experience, for efficiency’s sake. The AI Overviews feature in Search summarizes info from a bunch of websites that you didn’t visit. Gemini integrations in Gmail can generate answers to emails you barely skimmed. Auto Browse attempts to pick the right seats for an event without your step-by-step guidance.
Still, I’m the one who has to live with the results if I blindly decide to make the wrong purchase or decision based on some bot’s recommendation. Auto Browse currently lacks the accuracy I need to rely fully on a tool like this as part of my daily life.
In addition, this initial iteration of Auto Browse is able to perform many of the technical aspects of what it means to browse. Yet, it lacks the browser’s spirit.
What do you mean you just picked the first three listings from the Depop search results? A true internet surfer would never. They would scroll for minutes just to find a few slightly different picks before bumping into some surprise, a wild card option that they hadn’t even considered as a possibility.
My meandering quests through the internet’s backwoods are certainly not the most efficient journeys. But they remain delightful to me, and I would never want to outsource that joy completely to a browser bot. In the future, generative AI may be useful only with miniscule tasks. Or maybe it’ll rewrite the entire foundation of what it means to go online. Whatever happens, I’m gonna keep on clicking.
The post I Let Google’s ‘Auto Browse’ AI Agent Take Over Chrome. It Didn’t Quite Click appeared first on Wired.
