An update on our new AI browser, Dia:
We just wrapped alpha testing with thousands of college students. Felt like the perfect moment to share a raw @browsercompany update on what’s been going on (including demos). So much to catch you up on…
Btw the point of this isn't to convince you of anything. We’ve always believed in building in public, but needed time to shape Dia’s vision. Now that puzzle pieces are clicking, time to go back to sharing for those who are curious.
Here are the takeaways from early testing:
First things first: I was wrong about so much. So much
1. chat actually is a great interface, not a bug
2. computer use models were not as good as expected
3. getting memory right is really hard
(I’m saying “I” here b/c not everyone on team agreed with me)
But after testing Dia with students (even in half-finished, barebones state) it’s clear we got one big thing right:
Context
In the words of OpenAI’s Michelle Pokrass: “The biggest bottleneck in AI isn’t the model’s capabilities — it’s getting enough relevant context.”
Context is what makes AI most useful to us. But it’s cumbersome to get into an app.
Today, our browsers are our context. Tabs reflect our work, studies, projects, questions we’re asking, docs we’re writing.
Let's get into specifics & demos from Dia on what's working...
Dia’s most popular feature (so far) is chatting with your tabs.
Chat with a YouTube video.
Chat with a FigJam board.
Chat with Google Calendar.
The killer feature here is the automatic context from your tabs. No copy-and-pasting. No need to set context, Dia just knows.
We’ve even built secret integrations that hook deeply into web apps (can only do at browser layer given no public APIs).
This means we can bring info into the context window a human can’t see & apps can't get with screenshots.
Here’s example of YouTube integration in action:
You can also get unique context into AI chat from within tabs too.
ex: Highlight text on a tab to turn into a “help me” button. Then ask your q & we’ll auto-route you to the right tool, auto-including the entire webpage in the context window.
"What's a better way to say this"
A more surprising learning is how unique context from our browser tabs can power up vertical AI workflows.
ex: Dia matches your writing style automatically, so the text it generates sounds like you and your doc (not AI slop).
More soon across coding, shopping, and more.
But the most wild stuff is when students combine the context from multiple tabs at once…
- write a doc informed by one tab but written in the style of another tab (just @ mention)
- transform all of your open tabs into a comparison table and report of the options
etc.
These aren’t all our features or learnings, but you get the point! Context is the core of Dia’s usefulness.
Why? In 2025:
1. AI models need context to be most valuable
2. Your tabs are your context
3. Combining 1 & 2 unlocks something new
“Okay cool, so when can I try Dia…”
Up next we'll onboard Arc members who want to try Dia, and then GA in a few months.
But first we have work to do (what’s the purpose of testing if you don’t act on those learnings).
Specifically, we’ve been working on tripling-down on context by adding the following to Dia:
1. Smart History: your everyday browsing makes Dia better the more you use it (private memory)
2. Vertical AI apps: package context, prompts, models, personalization into vertical assistants
3. Personalization: auto-customize your own system prompt just by browsing normally
Finally: we’re dialing-up the craft details to make you feel something when using Dia. Alpha version we tested was rough by design. Brittle, minimal, and stripped down to prove one thing: utility.
Now that we’re gearing up to ship for real we're bringing in Browser Co flair!
Quick note on Arc: I know many of you are disappointed it’s not our focus. But I promise you Dia and Arc will unify more than you can see today. On the docket:
- AI-native take on Arc’s spaces & folders
- Arc’s Air Traffic Control but automatic
- More of Arc’s greatest hits
Our goal at @browsercompany has always been to build a successor to the browser. One that feels personal. We called it an “Internet Computer” in our first vid in ‘22.
Last year we said the tech arrived to finally unseat Chrome, and that soon everyone will build an AI browser.
Dia & Browser Co aside that moment is here and it’s pretty remarkable.
Five years ago saying Google Chrome & Search might be unseated felt wild. Now it feels inevitable.
Root for us, root against us I’m so pumped for this new internet & we’re giving it our all. Should be fun!
P.S. idk when AGI is coming but Dia roasted me pretty hard the other day (attached).
And I can say I never thought in a million years that my computer would make me laugh (never mind peer deep into my soul and insecurities).
Ded.
