The First AI Agentic Browser is Here: Opera Neon
- Nishant
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Is your web browser just a passive window to the internet, or could it be an active partner in your workday? Opera, a long-standing name in web browsing, believes it's time for a change. They're introducing Opera Neon, a new AI-agentic browser. It's designed not just to display information but to understand your intentions, act on your behalf, and even create for you.
For years, web browsers sat quietly between people and the internet, offering tabs, bookmarks, and not much else. They were tools we directed. Opera Neon changes that script by turning the simple browser into an active colleague. The browser is designed to understand your intent, assist with tasks, and take action, helping you get things done, such as searching, filling out forms, and even building a full website.
The Oslo-based company calls Opera Neon the first AI-agentic browser, a label that shows where mainstream software could be headed.
Why the "agentic" label matters
Most AI integrations inside browsers today stop at chat. An "agentic" browser, such as Opera Neon, tries to be more of an assistant, understanding what you're trying to achieve and then taking steps to help.
Neon uses a blend of local agents running inside the client and cloud-hosted agents inside a virtual machine to carry out multi-stage tasks.
In practice, that means a manager can ask Neon to assemble a competitor-analysis report, and the browser will read pages, collect data, draft a document, and keep improving it even if the laptop is shut down. When the user returns, the report is waiting in a new tab.
Here's a look at its main capabilities:
Chat with Neon: This feature provides a built-in AI assistant. You can use it to search the internet, get more details about the webpage you're currently viewing, and perform many of the tasks you'd expect from an AI chat tool, all within the browser.
Do with Neon: Neon can handle routine online tasks for you, like filling out forms or booking travel. It understands webpage content and interacts directly, all locally, on your computer to keep your information private. This builds on a concept previously shown as "Browser Operator."
Make with Neon: Its AI engine can understand your project requests and can build a simple game, a business report, code, or a basic website. These tasks can even continue in the cloud even when you go offline, and it can manage multiple creation projects at once.
Opera suggests we're moving towards an "agentic web," which they term Web 4o. In this view, AI agents become increasingly helpful, and the browser becomes the primary platform for accessing and managing them.
Strategic implications for business teams
Productivity without extra SaaS overhead: Because Neon runs agents inside the browser, you can avoid bouncing between specialized tools for data entry, vendor searches, or prototyping.
Faster experimentation: Marketing and engineering teams can request a quick proof-of-concept site or script and iterate within hours instead of sprint cycles.
Governance and audit: Local execution means IT can keep existing security controls like password managers and endpoint protection while giving staff advanced automation.
Skill bridge: Non-technical staff can outsource minor coding or data-cleaning chores to Neon, freeing developers for higher-value problems.
Conclusion
Opera Neon turns a simple browser into an active participant in daily work. For companies already experimenting with AI copilots, Neon's mix of local privacy and cloud persistence could offer an intriguing middle ground. The subscription details will matter, but the bigger story is that a 30-year-old utility, the web browser, is learning new tricks that could reduce hours spent on common business tasks. Forward-looking professionals would be wise to run a test, measure the gains, and update their playbooks; it is not too late yet.
