Chrome, Edge and Firefox: AI Feature Test Reveals an Unexpected Winner

Journalist Lance Whitney from ZDNET tested the built-in AI tools of Chrome, Edge, and Firefox. Despite Firefox remaining his primary browser, Edge emerged as the winner in the AI test.

What Chrome can do with Gemini

Chrome offers several AI functions based on Google Gemini. From the start page, you can access regular search or AI Mode — an expanded mode with detailed answers. Even with regular search, Google often displays AI Overview — a brief summary of the answer before visiting source sites.

The Ask Gemini button allows you to discuss the content of an open tab: ask for a summary, pose a question, or analyze a specific section of the page. Links from AI Mode now open in split-screen mode next to the chat — convenient for quick source verification. Among the notable features — saving prompts as "skills".

Once you write a successful query to Gemini, you can save it and call it from any page using the `/` command. AI settings are collected in the "AI innovations" section — where you can also enable browsing history in search and text writing assistance.

Edge and Copilot: Deep integration

Edge is built around Microsoft Copilot, and this is evident from the first launch. Copilot is integrated into the new tab, sidebar, PDF work, and multi-tab mode simultaneously. Particularly stands out is the feature of analyzing all open tabs at once: a user opens several pages on a topic, asks a question in Copilot — and AI reviews each page, forming a structured answer.

Similarly, PDF analysis works: open a document, ask a question — Copilot answers based on the file content. Copilot Vision adds another layer: AI "sees" the screen and can discuss its content in voice dialogue. The AI tab organization feature automatically groups open pages by topic — you click "Organize tabs", and the browser itself arranges tabs into groups.

The Journeys feature groups browsing history into thematic cards.

"Copilot integrates organically into the browser and offers features that neither

Chrome nor Firefox have," writes the test author.

Firefox: Choice of bot and privacy

Firefox takes a different path. Instead of its own AI, the browser provides access to several third-party chatbots:

• ChatGPT
• Google Gemini
• Microsoft Copilot
• Claude
• Le Chat Mistral

The user selects the needed one in the sidebar and can change it at any time. Right-clicking on a page allows you to ask the selected AI to summarize text or explain a selected fragment. The new Smart Window feature (public beta) opens a sidebar with embedded AI that processes data locally — conversations are stored only on the user's computer. Smart Window supports discussing the current page and working with multiple tabs. In Firefox settings, you can completely disable all AI enhancements with a single "Block AI enhancements" toggle — no such option exists in Chrome or Edge.

What does this mean

Edge turned out to be unexpectedly strong in AI work: Copilot is deeply integrated into the interface, and analyzing multiple tabs at once plus Copilot Vision provide real advantages when researching information. Chrome is convenient with saved prompts, but loses in the depth of integration. Firefox with Smart Window — a choice for those who value privacy and want to control which AI to use.