One open question about artificial intelligence tools is whether they'll ever be capable of providing value commensurate with the investments big firms have made in them, as deftly exemplified by a recent Wired article.
Along with Meta, Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft, Google is a major player in the emerging field of AI technology — and CEO Sundar Pichai has conceded that the company's large wagers might not pay off in the end.
Google's Chrome has been the top browser by market share since 2012, and Google Gemini is the search giant's in-house large language model, or LLM.
On Wednesday, Google introduced an "Auto Browse" feature in Chrome: a form of personal "agentic AI" designed to automate certain browser-based tasks. A Wired writer took the novel feature for a spin to see how it handled some basic tests.
After an aggravating false start, the author asked Auto Browse, powered by Gemini, to assist with three relatively straightforward tasks: finding and booking tickets for a symphony that night, locating a suitable camping spot, and curating three leather jackets from Depop.
As they noted, a disclaimer warned them to use "Gemini carefully and take control if needed."
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"You are responsible for Gemini's actions during tasks," it ominously warned. For the first query, Auto Browse indeed located two seats at the evening's symphony — but when the user was prompted to approve the transaction, they realized the seats were in different rows.
While new AI functions continue to emerge, the broader impacts of the technology are a distinct controversy. AI data centers have become a bipartisan point of contention, as the facilities are noisy and strain municipal resources such as water and power.
Data center water use is one thing, but an increased demand for energy has contributed to the steadily uptick in electric bills nationwide. In 2025, the Department of Energy warned that an outdated grid wasn't up to the task of an AI boom, which could increase blackouts a hundredfold.
Ultimately, the Wired writer was left deeply underwhelmed by Auto Browse.
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$200 or more 💰 "Rather than saving me time and effort, Auto Browse had created more work," they observed after the first task. The two subsequent tests were equally disappointing, and the author noticed that the tool simply selected the "first three" results for a jacket matching their specifications.
"As a more detailed request, this one took considerably longer to process, almost a full 15 minutes. Even after taking more time, the results were half-assed," they concluded.
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