Opera brings ChatGPT and AI prompts directly to the browser

Highlighting a wall of text, copying it, opening a new tab, and pasting it into ChatGPT just to ask for a summary is getting old fast.

Opera rolled out a set of new generative AI tools for early testing across both its flagship browser and the gaming-focused Opera GX. The update puts chatbots and prompt workflows directly into the browsing window.

There are two main additions here: a contextual tool called AI Prompts, and native sidebar shortcuts to ChatGPT and ChatSonic.

Prompts in the address bar and bots on the side

The highlight feature is AI Prompts. Instead of just letting you copy or search highlighted text, the browser now lets you generate actions directly from page content or the address bar.

You can select a dense paragraph, an entire article, or even a full page, and tell the tool to shorten it or explain what it means. If you stumble upon a niche topic, you can ask for related rabbit-hole recommendations, or even have it draft a quick tweet about what you are reading.

Over in the sidebar, Opera embedded direct web access to ChatGPT and ChatSonic. You can keep your active tab in focus while firing off prompts for code debugging, translation, trip planning, or math help.

ChatSonic also brings text-to-image generation into the mix. Keep in mind that Opera is not providing free platform access here: you still need to log into your own accounts with those services to chat.

The features are available in early access on Windows, Mac, and Linux for standard Opera, and Windows and Mac for Opera GX. Users need to toggle on Early Access and AI Prompts in Easy Setup, while Opera GX users also need to check the Early Bird setting. Opera teased that this is merely stage one, with a proprietary GPT-based browser AI engine currently in the works.

Why it matters

We think Opera's move is a practical, low-friction response to Microsoft baking AI directly into Edge. Instead of waiting months to build custom models from scratch, Opera is moving fast by packaging the tools people already use right where they spend their workday.

For everyday users, it is a neat quality-of-life upgrade. If you constantly summarize long articles or draft quick replies, having contextual prompts tied to highlighted text saves genuine time without requiring third-party extensions. The barrier to entry is minimal.

However, the approach reveals its own limitations. Tucking web apps for ChatGPT and ChatSonic into a collapsible sidebar is convenient, but it essentially mimics what custom browser extensions have offered for months. You still have to manage logins and deal with service availability. Opera's real test will be stage two: whether its promised in-house browser engine can deliver true system-level integration rather than just clever window dressing.