Meet Dia—a new AI browser that chats, summarizes, and automates
What's the story
The Browser Company, the start-up behind popular web browser Arc, has launched a new AI-first browser called Dia. The move comes after the company's decision to stop further development of Arc due to its lack of mass adoption. Dia is currently available in beta but requires an invite for access. The new browser is designed to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) directly into the browsing experience.
User experience
Dia is built on Google's open-source Chromium project
Dia features a clean and simple interface, built on Google's open-source Chromium project. The main highlight of the browser is its built-in AI chatbot, which can be accessed through the URL bar. The bot can perform web searches, summarize uploaded files, and switch between chat and search modes automatically. It also answers questions about open tabs and drafts content based on them.
Advanced capabilities
Users can adjust preferences and settings
Dia also offers users the ability to customize their preferences by interacting with the chatbot. This includes adjusting its tone of voice, writing style, and coding settings. An opt-in feature called History lets you use a week's worth of your browsing history as context for answering queries. Another feature called Skills allows users to create small code snippets that serve as shortcuts for various settings.
Rollout strategy
Dia available via an invite-only beta
The Browser Company has said that all current Arc members will get immediate access to Dia. Existing users of Dia can also invite others to try out the new browser. This strategy is part of the company's plan to make its innovative AI-first browsing experience accessible to as many people as possible, despite the initial invite-only beta phase.