AI Browser: Microsoft Renames Edge for Mobile Devices

2024-01-05

Microsoft's mobile web browser is no longer called the mobile version of Edge - it is now called Microsoft Edge: AI Browser. Although the functionality of the application has not changed, the iOS and Android versions of Edge now use this name that places AI at the core of the browser. This change comes days after Microsoft released its AI assistant Copilot for iOS and Android applications. As we all know, Microsoft has been eager to take a leading position in the AI competition. For better or worse, almost everything it has done recently has involved AI in some form, from its AI-centered Surface laptops to its new partnership with TomTom. CEO Satya Nadella was so fascinated by Copilot that last year he even commented on transforming one of the most iconic features of the operating system - the Windows start button - into a Copilot button. Given all this, it is not surprising that Microsoft is reshaping its cornerstone-level smartphone application with an AI-centered transformation. Although the functionality of the mobile browser remains unchanged, not everyone is excited about its new name. One user posted on Saturday, "I am deeply disappointed with every decision Microsoft's leadership has made regarding Edge. It's like every time they are faced with two options, they deliberately choose the worse one." Another user even called this change a "mess." On the surface, changing the name of the application seems relatively harmless. However, for a mature and influential company like Microsoft, rebranding can easily lead to more serious consequences. Of course, Microsoft may simply want smartphone users to understand and associate Edge with AI-driven services; however, it is also possible that Microsoft will continue to impose chatbots and other AI tools on its most basic applications until AI takes center stage. Currently, Microsoft is leveraging the rebranding of Edge as an opportunity to showcase the browser's AI capabilities in the iOS App Store and Google Play Store. The Edge listings in both stores promote Copilot integration, allowing users to generate text using GPT-4 and generate images using DALL-E 3.