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Google is testing a new AI-powered side panel experience in Chrome
Google
Google is trying out a major tweak to how AI works inside Chrome, specifically by mashing up Google Lens with the browser’s native AI side panel. Right now, this is popping up in Chrome Canary – the experimental playground where Google tests new features before they go mainstream.
The big shift here is that Lens isn’t just acting as a standalone tool for looking up images anymore. Instead, it now triggers Chrome’s full AI interface right in the side panel, blending image search, page reading, and chat into one unified spot.
In this new setup, activating Lens does more than just highlight a picture. It opens that AI panel on the right, giving you a chat box, suggested questions, and quick actions. Since the panel can “read” the webpage you are currently on, you can ask questions about the article without ever leaving the tab.
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In testing, the AI handles summaries and context pretty instantly, keeping everything in a single thread. It also ties into Chrome’s broader AI system, meaning your visual searches and chat sessions are finally living in the same history, reinforcing the idea that Google wants search, vision, and chat to feel like one continuous experience.
Why it matters and what comes next
Why this is important: This update is a clear sign that Google wants Chrome to be more than just a passive window to the web; they want it to be an active workspace. By fusing Lens with “AI Mode,” they are positioning the browser as a smart assistant that hangs out alongside whatever you are reading. It stops being a separate tool you have to switch to and starts being a helper that actually understands the context of your screen.
Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends
Why you should care: Ideally, this means less tab clutter and faster answers. Whether you are deep in a research hole, online shopping, or reading a complex article, having an AI that can see what you see – and explain it – without making you leave the page is a massive workflow upgrade. It feels like a natural step toward the “assistant-first” browsing experience Google is pushing on Android and Search.
What’s next: This is still in the “rough draft” phase in Canary, and the interface is clearly a work in progress. However, the way it links the side panel, the address bar, and your task history suggests Google is serious about building a unified AI layer across Chrome. If it survives testing, this Lens-powered panel could fundamentally change the rhythm of how we search and read on the web.
Moinak Pal is has been working in the technology sector covering both consumer centric tech and automotive technology for the…
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