Opera unveils ChatGPT-powered integrated AI side panel 'Aria'

SAN FRANCISCO: Web browser company Opera has unveiled a new AI side panel in its browser called "Aria", which is powered by OpenAI's ChatGPT.

With Aria, users will get access to generative AI services for free.

"Aria is both a web and a browser expert that allows you to collaborate with AI while looking for information on the web, generating text or code, or getting your product queries answered," Opera said in a blogpost on Wednesday.

The new feature is currently available for testing.

Moreover, the company said that Aria is based on its "Composer" infrastructure and connects to OpenAI's GPT technology and is enhanced by additional capabilities, such as adding live results from the web.

Opera further stated that Aria is a free service with up-to-date information, meaning it's connected to the internet and not limited to content before 2021 -- making it a more advanced offering than standard GPT-based solutions.

Aria is shipping to over 180 countries, including the EU (European Union).

"The AI-based service is set to become even more integrated into Opera in the coming versions of the browser, with the ultimate aim of being natively blended into the browser to help you perform cross-browser tasks," the company said.

Users who use Opera on desktops can test Aria by downloading the newest version of the Opera One browser (developer version), while Android users can test Aria in the latest beta version of the browser, downloadable in the Google Play Store.