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Why Is Microsoft Edge Getting An AI Brain Transplant?
Microsoft is making big changes to how you use the internet. The company is turning Edge into an AI-first browser. This means every time you open a new tab, you’ll see Copilot instead of your usual homepage.
What’s Happening to Your Browser?
Microsoft quietly started testing something called “Copilot Mode” on Windows 11 and Windows 10. This new setup puts Copilot right in the middle of your screen when you open Edge. Instead of seeing links to your favorite websites, you get a chat box that says “Ready when you are”.
The change comes from Mustafa Suleyman, who runs Microsoft AI. His goal is simple: make Edge work more like Perplexity’s search engine. But Microsoft isn’t there yet. They’re just getting started.
How Does the New Edge Work?
When you open Edge now, you’ll see four main options:
- Search & Chat – Type questions and get answers
- Ask Copilot – Talk directly to the AI assistant
- Think Deeper – Opens a special thinking tool online
- Actions – Helps you do tasks like booking trips or logging into websites
The Actions feature is interesting. It uses the same technology that powers ChatGPT’s Operator tool. This means it can help you complete real tasks on websites, not just answer questions.
What About Finding Things on Web Pages?
Microsoft also changed how you search for words on web pages. When you press Ctrl+F to find something, you’ll now see a Copilot option below the search box. This lets you ask questions about what’s on the page instead of just looking for exact words.
The old search still works the same way. But now you can ask Copilot “What does this page say about climate change?” instead of searching for those exact words.
However, Copilot isn’t perfect at this yet. It struggles with long pages or when you’re looking at website code. That’s when the regular search box works better.
Is the News Feed Changing Too?
Microsoft is testing something called “Copilot Discover” to replace the MSN news feed. Instead of regular news stories, AI will pick articles it thinks you’ll like. This feature isn’t available to everyone yet, but it’s being tested in preview versions of Edge.
The new news feed looks cleaner and loads faster than the old MSN version. Stories appear in big boxes with large text that’s easier to read. When you hover over a story, you can vote it up or down, bookmark it, or block certain news sources.
How Does This Compare to Other AI Browsers?
Microsoft isn’t the only company making AI browsers. Perplexity launched something called Comet that does similar things. Comet can handle tasks across different websites and remembers what you’re working on.
Google is also testing AI features in Chrome. They have something called “AI Mode” that focuses on AI-powered searches.
The difference is that Microsoft is putting AI at the center of everything you do in Edge. Other browsers add AI as an extra feature. Microsoft wants AI to be the main way you use the internet.
What’s Coming Next?
Microsoft calls this the “Copilotification of Edge”. The company wants to create what they call an “agentic” browser experience. This means Copilot would do more than just summarize web content. It would actively help you complete tasks online.
For now, this is just the beginning. Microsoft is slowly rolling out these features to test how people use them. Not everyone has access to Copilot Mode yet.
The company is also working on giving Copilot access to more of your browser information, like your history and login details. This would let it do more specific tasks, like making restaurant reservations or managing your daily schedule.
Why This Matters for You
This change affects how you browse the internet every day. Instead of starting with a search engine or your bookmarks, you’ll start by talking to an AI assistant. This could make finding information faster, but it also means Microsoft’s AI will influence what you see online.
The new Edge is free to use, at least for now. Microsoft says you can turn off these features if you don’t want them. But the company clearly wants AI to become the main way people use the internet.