Google Chrome Updated With AI-Powered 'Skills' Feature That Lets Users Execute AI Tasks With a Click

Google integrated its Gemini AI chatbot in Chrome earlier this year to bring agentic AI capabilities to its browser, competing directly with Perplexity's AI-powered Comet browser. The new functionality was initially available in select regions and was later rolled out to a wider user base globally, allowing users to ask queries about the webpage they are on, conduct context-based research, or look for a specific product online directly from the Chrome browser. Now, the Mountain View company has introduced a new feature, called Skills in Chrome, which lets users enter preset queries and commands with a single click for frequently used queries, aiming to save time and user effort.

Gemini Powers Google Chrome's Skills Feature 

In a blog post, the Mountain View-based tech giant announced that it is updating its browser with the Skills in Chrome functionality. The company said that users will now be able to create preset commands and queries for Gemini in Chrome. These commands can then be entered with a single click, eliminating the need for users to type their frequently used AI queries and commands. The company calls these AI command presets “Skills”.

After writing an AI prompt in the Gemini in Chrome sidebar, users can save that particular query as a Skill by scrolling to the end of the page after Gemini has generated an answer. When a user taps on the Save this prompt as a Skill button, a small dialogue box opens.

Users can then edit the prompt and set the name of the Skill. After this, they must tap the Save button to add it to their library. Next time a user wants to use the prompt, they can simply type “/” followed by the name of the Skill. Alternatively, they click on the “plus” symbol and choose a Skill.

Moreover, the tech giant is also creating its own library of Skills in Chrome. Hence, users who do not wish to create their own queries can directly use preset commands written by Google. The company said that it has created Skills, asking Gemini AI to break down the ingredients of a product on the user's screen. They can also use the Google-created Skill, asking the AI chatbot to look for the “perfect gift” online, comparing prices from multiple platforms based on a user's budget.

The Mountain View company also highlighted that early testers used Skills in Chrome for creating personally curated and contextualised “workflows” for a range of tasks, including health and wellness, shopping, and productivity. The tech giant said that the testers were using Skills for “quickly calculating protein macros for any recipe”, “generating side-by-side spec comparisons across multiple tabs”, and “scanning lengthy documents for important information”.