Google AI Mode arrives in Chrome Canary for early tests

Google has been testing more-integrated conversational search features and appears to be opening up some of the functionality that comes with its new Google AI assistant in Chrome Canary.

The feature appears at chrome://contextual-tasks and — key point here — can tap into your currently open tabs to respond to questions in context. It’s an early but meaningful indication of the ways Chrome may be transitioning from a passive window on the web to something closer to our mental model: an AI-informed workspace.

What’s new in Chrome Canary: early AI Mode preview

Whereas the current web version of AI Mode that’s just a landing page in search is hosted on a search results page, the Canary build opens up chrome://AI with “Meet AI Mode” and an “Ask anything” prompt. As noted first by Windows Report, the experimental page can pull from the tabs you already have open, which gets rid of the hurdle of having to copy and paste URLs just so that this AI understands what kind of content it’s about to look at.

The initial UI varies slightly from what the web version has. Secondary queries display inline with answers, rather than as links further down the chat screen, indicating that Google is tweaking the workflow for extended in-tab sessions. Beyond that, the experience is minimal by design — consistent with how Canary serves as a testing ground for features that may evolve rapidly.

Why AI Mode inside Chrome Canary could matter

Gray says the choice to include AI Mode inside Chrome also points to an advantage in practice: richer context. A system with access to your open tabs can cross-reference between several avenues of information without a user having to be the courier. That small change reduces overhead in tasks and is exactly the kind of quality-of-life improvement that can drive real adoption.

It is also a strategic signal. Chrome dominates over 60% of the global desktop browser market as per StatCounter. Yet even slight AI depth at the browser layer could scale to hundreds of millions of users rapidly, particularly if it ultimately integrates with other Google projects, such as Search upgrades and productivity features.

Real-world use cases for Chrome’s new AI Mode

Think about price research in shopping tabs. With AI Mode aware of your open pages, you could ask for a side-by-side look at specifications and return policies without having to juggle URLs. For academic work, it might summarize the main arguments across two journal articles you’ve opened and point out where their conclusions differ.

Even everyday browsing benefits. Have a long troubleshooting thread open at the same time as a PDF manual? Ask the AI to give you steps made for your device, and specify what part of the manual you already have open. The fewer context switches you make, the quicker these tasks seem.

How AI Mode in Chrome Canary works right now

Canary’s AI Mode sits right in your browser tab and acts as an interactive assistant that uses information on the page you’re visiting within your session. There’s no sign of desktop-level overlays or systemwide actions yet, and no indication that the feature supports offline or on-device models. This is still very much a browser function, not an operating system assistant.

The internal page is named “contextual-tasks” — since “we think big” — which gives some insight into Google’s vision: task completion that leverages an immediate web context. It’s a natural progression of the company’s longstanding quest to make search results not just informative, but actionable.

Privacy and user controls for Chrome’s AI Mode

Putting open tabs at a feature’s disposal creates clear privacy challenges for AI. Expect clearer controls and more explicit disclosures before any broader release, although it’s true such things are more common in privacy-optional features than they are for an out-and-out profile consent journey. Chrome already allows organizations to manage policies at a granular level, and administrators usually have the ability to disable experimental features as they are tested.

The main issue, for individual users, is uncertainty over data boundaries: what tabs can be read, which text will be processed, and how that data will help improve models. In other AI pilots, Google has emphasized user choice and constricted data pathways — and the same scrutiny will be demanded here.

What we don’t know yet about Chrome’s AI Mode

There is no timeline yet for when this will arrive in beta and stable release channels, and it’s always possible that the current implementation may not ship as is. Canary often hosts things that are only under development, and Google can iterate behind server-side switches.

We also don’t know how extensive Chrome’s integration will be. The latest version today is AI Mode in a tab. Tomorrow’s may include proactive recommendations relevant to your session, even smarter omnibox actions, or closer integration with services such as Gmail and Docs. For now, at least, the deal is no more than this: Google is simply dragging AI Mode to where people already are — browser tabs.

Bottom line on AI Mode appearing in Chrome Canary

AI Mode in Chrome Canary is a small but important step toward an AI-native browser. The option to reference open tabs reduces friction around many common research, shopping, and troubleshooting tasks — and the chrome:// integration indicates that performance or workflow gains are likely (versus a full web-based experience). It’s young, it’s a test, and it is worth watching.