The Browser Company is launching what it calls “Act II” for its Arc web browser on Windows and Mac, and it’s all about AI.
“Today, after four years of foundational work, we’re pulling the future forward [and] introducing a brand new category of software,” The Browser Company CEO Josh Miller says in a promotional video. “It’s a browser that browses for you. We’re combining the three essential elements of the Internet—a web browser, search engines, and web pages—into a single cohesive tool, all designed to save you time.”
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I recently reviewed Arc for Windows and, like many, I suspect, I was both confused and wowed by its uniquely powerful design, which is unlike any other web browser to date. And The Browser Company also coincidentally shipped its first version of Arc Search, an AI-powered search service that is for now only available as a standalone iPhone app. Both of these products are intertwined and will later be combined into a single product called Arc. Together, they represent the first steps in implementing the future of the web browser as envisioned by this small company.
Today’s announcement furthers that vision. There are three new features: Instant Links, which is available now in Arc for Windows and Mac, Live Folders, which is coming soon, and Arc Explore, which arrives in beta on February 15.
Instant Links is an AI-based feature that can replace the standard search experience by providing you with one or more links to web pages that answer your query. So instead of a search results page, these links will appear in the Arc sidebar like normal tabs. You can also specify a folder for these links if you want to get multiple results for a specific topic, like reviews of a tech product, and keep them organized. As Miller says, Instant Links eliminates the ad-sponsored search results “middleman” and just gives you what you want as quickly as possible.
Live Folders are built on the folders in Arc today but are updated when the items they contain are updated. For example, if Thurrott.com is in a Live Folder and we post a new article, that Live Folder will be updated. But it’s not just for websites and web pages: You can create folders for topics as well. It sort of sounds like an evolution and combination of RSS readers and new feeds.
Arc Explore is basically the desktop version of the Browse For Me feature in the Arc Search mobile app, and it summarizes information from multiple sites on the web and provides links to the sources if you want more. Like Instant Links, Arc Explore turns Internet search on its head by dispensing with an endless list of blue links and just giving you what you want. It’s the embodiment of Arc’s new positioning as the browser that browses for you.
The video linked above does a decent job of explaining these features further, but be warned that this is a small company trying to make a name for itself in a world dominated by gigantic companies with infinite money, and the style they adopt can be a bit grating. I still think it’s worth watching: There are some very interesting ideas in Arc, and these new features add to its allure. The Browser Company may be onto something here.
Note: Somewhat amusingly, my review of Arc for Windows makes an appearance in the video at about the 11:17 mark.