Opera introduces WebAI, a new web standard to run AI models locally in the browser

What happened

Browser maker Opera has introduced a new web standard, WebAI, that lets users run AI models directly in its browser without relying on the cloud.

The feature is available as an early preview in Opera's flagship Opera One browser, and users have to opt into it. Opera GX, built for gamers and streamers, and Opera Neon, which uses AI agents to perform tasks, will soon get the same treatment, according to the company.

Key details

• WebAI is designed to work with a variety of AI models. Opera name-drops Google's open-weight model Gemma, introduced two years ago, as one example; on Macs it also supports Apple's on-device foundation model.
• Opera says WebAI is not tied to any particular model and is built to support a wide range of open-weight AI systems, growing out of the company's previous work to bring locally run models into its browsers.
• The standard allows anyone to generate text, classify content, and understand how pieces of information relate, all directly in the browser.
• Open-weight models are typically free to download and use, with publicly available weights that give developers freedom to customize them, though unlike fully open source software they still come with some restrictions.

Why it matters

The main pitch is privacy and cost. Opera says developers "can add AI features without running AI infrastructure or paying for every request," while users don't need AI subscriptions and information handled by the local AI stays on their own device. As AI assistants become more powerful and gain access to personal information, users often surrender vast amounts of personal data to chatbots without a clear understanding of how it is stored or used. Locally run models keep processing on the user's device — not eliminating every privacy risk, but giving users more control, which fits Opera's long-standing focus on digital privacy as a selling point.

There are trade-offs, however: running AI models locally puts more demand on the user's computer, which can affect performance. Opera notes that model performance will depend on the device's hardware.

Who it affects

• Browser users, especially those concerned about privacy or unwilling to pay for cloud AI subscriptions, who can try the feature in Opera One via opt-in.
• Developers, who can add AI features using open-weight models without running AI infrastructure or paying per request.
• Users on lower-spec devices, since local inference performance depends on hardware.

Browser maker Opera has introduced a new web standard that lets users run AI models directly in its browser, without relying on the cloud.

The new standard, WebAI, is designed to work with a variety of AI models. Opera name drops Google’s Gemma — an open-weight model that Google introduced two years ago — as one example. On Macs, WebAI also supports Apple’s on-device foundation model, the company says.

But Opera says WebAI isn’t tied to any particular model and is built to support a wide range of open-weight AI systems. WebAI grew out of previous work by Opera to bring locally run models into its browsers.

Opera is making the new AI features available as an early preview in its flagship Opera One browser. The company says Opera GX, its browser built for gamers and streamers, and Opera Neon, its browser that uses AI agents to perform tasks, will soon get the same treatment. Users have to choose to opt into the feature, according to the company.

Open-weight models offer a number of benefits to users. For one, they are typically free to download and use. Their underlying model weights are also publicly available, which gives developers more freedom to customize how they work. Although unlike fully open source software, open-weight models still come with some restrictions.

There’s the additional advantage of privacy, the company said. Users can tap into AI features without having to send their personal information to a company’s servers or pay for a cloud-based AI subscription.

“Developers can add AI features without running AI infrastructure or paying for every request,” the company said in its announcement. “Users don’t need AI subscriptions, the information the local AI handles stays on their own device, and they stay in control of the AI on their computer.”

The company said WebAI also allows anyone to generate text, classify content, and understand how pieces of information relate, all directly in the browser.

Privacy has become a growing concern as AI assistants become more powerful and gain access to personal information. Users often surrender vast amounts of personal information with AI chatbots, sometimes without a clear understanding of how that data is stored or used.

Locally run models offer an alternative because the processing happens on the user’s own device — and not on a company’s cloud server. That doesn’t eliminate every privacy risk, but it does give users a bit more control. It makes sense then that Opera has made digital privacy one of its primary selling points over the years.

There are trade-offs, however. Running AI models locally puts more demand on a user’s computer, which can affect performance. Opera notes that model performance will depend on the device’s hardware.

When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

Lucas is a senior writer at TechCrunch, where he covers artificial intelligence, consumer tech, and startups. He previously covered AI and cybersecurity at Gizmodo. You can contact Lucas by emailing [email protected].

View Bio

The original belongs to TechCrunch · AI and its authors and is reproduced here for reading. To have it removed, write to support@aisa.one.