Opera announced today that its Aria AI assistant has made its way to iOS. The feature launched on desktop in June and stems from a partnership with ChatGPT creator OpenAI. Opera says Aria, now available on all major desktop and mobile platforms, has tallied over a million users on desktop and Android.
Like Microsoft’s Bing Copilot and Google’s Search Generative Experience, Aria can answer questions and respond to context around active web pages. The assistant taps into OpenAI’s GPT API while using Opera’s Composer architecture for real-time web results. “As an expert in both web navigation and browser functions, Aria facilitates AI collaboration in tasks such as information retrieval, text or code generation, and product inquiries,” Opera’s Kseniia Sycheva wrote in the company’s announcement post today.
Using the AI bot will require an Opera account, but nobody will be enrolled by default. “You have the autonomy to opt in based on your preference for engaging with AI services,” the company wrote. “Once activated, Aria offers intelligent insights, innovative ideas, and responsive voice commands.” As TechCrunch notes, Aria is available from the “more” menu (the far right tab on the bottom) in the Opera iOS app.
In addition to the chatbot, Opera for iOS includes a built-in ad blocker and supports Apple Intelligent Tracking Prevention, which limits cross-site tracking. The browser also has a built-in VPN service you can use for free. The updated app with Aria is available today in 180 countries, including the US and the European Union.
Author: Will Shanklin
Source: Engadget
