Opera's iOS web browser gets AI assistant 'Aria'

SAN FRANCISCO: Web browser company Opera has announced that its AI assistant 'Aria' is now available for all users of the Opera browser for iOS.

"We’re proud to announce that Aria, our new AI browser, is now available for all users of the Opera browser for iOS, which makes it accessible across all major platforms," Opera said in a blogpost.

"With successful launches on Opera for desktop and Opera for Android, Aria’s accessibility now extends to all major platforms, encompassing Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, and now iOS," it added.

The company built Aria in collaboration with Microsoft-owned OpenAI, which offers users a cutting-edge generative AI service for free which is enhanced by its own Composer architecture, granting users access to real-time web results.

Aria has already exceeded one million users, Opera said.

To use Aria, users need to log into their Opera account and if they don’t have one, they can create an account from the app. Aria will then provide various intelligent insights and ideas, and responsive voice commands.

Opera on iOS, like other AI search companions, has a chatbot-like interface where users can ask questions and receive responses instead of searching the web for answers.

The AI is accessible in the Opera iOS app via "more" menu (far right tab on the bottom navigation bar). If users want, they can ask their questions to Aria by tapping the microphone button instead of typing them.

In June, Opera had launched a newly-redesigned web browser powered by artificial intelligence -- 'Opera One'.

"Opera One is your familiar Opera browser, but it's been given a major makeover. And we're not just talking about a new coat of paint -- we've re-imagined and rebuilt Opera from the ground up, paving the way for a new era in which AI isn't just an add-on, but a core part of your browsing experience," Opera said.