Katarzyna Petru
Claude for Chrome – beta version for selected users
Anthropic is launching a new AI agent that operates directly in Google Chrome. Claude for Chrome is available to 1000 subscribers of the Max plan ($100–200 per month). The rest of the interested parties can sign up for the waiting list.
The extension allows users to have conversations with Claude in a sidebar that retains the context of the browsed pages. Additionally, the agent – with the user's consent – can perform certain tasks in the browser.
Race for the AI Browser
The browser is becoming a new arena for competition. Perplexity already has its own Comet, Google has added Gemini integrations, and OpenAI is preparing a similar solution. The stakes are high, especially since Google may be forced to sell Chrome as a result of antitrust proceedings. Perplexity has already made a purchase offer of 34.5 billion USD, and Sam Altman from OpenAI has also suggested an interest in acquisition.
Security and Prompt Injection Attacks
Anthropic acknowledges that agents with access to the browser pose a serious risk. An example is the recent vulnerabilities in Comet from Perplexity, which could have allowed websites to trigger unwanted actions by the agent.
The company has already implemented safeguards – the effectiveness of prompt injection attacks has dropped from 23.6% to 11.2%. Additionally, Claude has access to financial sites, adult content, or pirated material blocked by default. When it comes to “high-risk” actions, such as purchases or sharing personal data, the agent always asks for consent.
Next step after the agent on PC
This is not Anthropic's first attempt in this direction. In 2024, the company showed an agent that could control a computer, but it was slow and unstable. Today, the situation looks different – agents operating in the browser are becoming increasingly useful. Comet and ChatGPT Agent handle simple tasks, although complex challenges remain an issue.
