Anthropic has announced the launch of a browser-based AI agent, Claude for Chrome, as part of a limited research preview. The tool, revealed on August 26, will initially be available to only 1,000 subscribers of Claude’s Max plan, which costs between $100 and $200 per month.
The agent allows users to interact with Claude in a side window that retains browser context, enabling smoother task delegation while browsing. With user permission, Claude can also take certain actions within the browser on their behalf, marking a step toward AI systems that handle more complex online tasks.
Anthropic said it has built in safeguards to protect against prompt injection attacks but will use this preview to test and address new safety risks as they emerge.
The race to integrate AI into browsers has intensified in recent months. AI companies see browser-based assistants as the next major battleground for user adoption. Anthropic’s rollout comes as Google awaits a final ruling in an antitrust case, where a federal judge has suggested Google may be forced to sell its Chrome browser. The uncertainty has sparked interest from competitors: Perplexity made a surprise $34.5 billion offer for Chrome, while OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has also expressed interest in acquiring it.
Meanwhile, Perplexity has already launched its Comet browser with AI task delegation features, and OpenAI is reportedly building its own AI-powered browser with similar capabilities. Google, for its part, has begun integrating Gemini into Chrome in recent months.
Privacy safeguards
Anthropic emphasised that users will remain in control of the new browser agent. Access to certain categories, such as financial services, adult content, and pirated material, is blocked by default. For high-risk actions, including publishing, purchasing, or sharing personal information, the AI will request explicit user consent. Users can also limit Claude’s access to specific sites directly through the app’s settings.
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