Google launches Gemini in Chrome weeks after antitrust win, escalating AI browser wars

Google rolled out a large set of AI features for its Chrome browser on Thursday, embedding its Gemini assistant directly into the platform with a clear focus on enterprise customers facing mounting workplace productivity challenges.

The deployment, which Google called the “biggest upgrade to Chrome in its history,” began with Mac and Windows users in the US and will extend to enterprise customers through Google Workspace “in the coming weeks,” the company said in a statement.

The timing is significant: Google’s announcement came just two weeks after US District Judge Amit Mehta ruled the company could keep Chrome following a landmark antitrust case, while rival Microsoft has been promoting AI-powered features in its Edge browser.

“Our work days can be full of distractions — endless context switching between projects, and repetitive tasks that slow people down,” wrote Mark Berschadski, director of product management for Chrome Enterprise, and Lorena Crowley, group product marketing manager for Chrome Enterprise, in a separate blog post. “That’s why we’re bringing a new level of assistance directly into the browser.”

Industry analysts viewed Google’s move as a calculated response to competitive pressure. “Google has chosen its moment carefully,” said Sanchit Vir Gogia, chief analyst and CEO at Greyhound Research. “By placing Gemini directly inside Chrome, the company is both responding to competitive pressure and reshaping the narrative of what a browser can be.”

Enterprise controls address security concerns

Google designed the rollout with enterprise governance in mind, allowing IT teams to configure AI features through Chrome Enterprise Core policies. The system automatically extended data protections to customers with qualifying Google Workspace editions, the company said in the statement.

Chrome Enterprise Premium added additional security layers, including URL filtering to block unauthorized AI tools and data masking for sensitive information uploads. “Within AI tools, security teams can apply data masking or other upload and copy/paste restrictions for sensitive data,” Google explained in its blog post.

The AI assistant could summarize lengthy reports, extract insights from videos, and work across multiple browser tabs while integrating with Google Calendar, Docs, and Drive. Google also enhanced the browser’s address bar with AI Mode for handling complex, multi-part questions.

Future capabilities would include what Google called “agentic” features that could handle multi-step tasks like ordering groceries, turning “30-minute chores into 3-click user journeys,” the company added in the blog.

Google also expanded Chrome’s security features using AI-powered threat detection. The company reported that Android Chrome users now receive “about 3 billion fewer scammy and spammy website notifications a day” through improved filtering systems.

Safe Browsing’s Enhanced Protection mode now uses AI to identify tech support scams and will expand to detect fake antivirus sites and brand impersonation attempts, Google said.

Competitive landscape intensifies

The Chrome AI rollout came as Google faced mounting pressure from rivals. Microsoft recently launched Copilot Mode for Edge, offering streamlined AI assistance and voice commands across browser tabs. The feature represents Microsoft’s effort to challenge Chrome’s dominance — Google holds 70% of the global browser market compared to Edge’s 5% share, according to Statcounter.

“Microsoft’s Copilot Mode is drawing attention, while Perplexity and Arc are pushing AI-native alternatives,” Gogia noted. “That makes Chrome’s timing less coincidental than calculation.”

The browser competition came as Google navigated antitrust scrutiny. Judge Mehta’s September 2 ruling spared Google from forced Chrome divestiture but warned the company against using “the same anticompetitive tactics for its GenAI products” employed in search markets.

Adoption challenges ahead

Despite productivity promises, enterprise adoption would face governance hurdles, analysts warned. “Enterprise adoption will hinge on two things: governance first, evidence second,” Gogia said. “No board will greenlight Gemini in Chrome simply on the promise of smoother summaries or faster search.”

CIOs would demand verification that AI systems “respect DLP policies, integrate with Zero Trust, and avoid exporting sensitive histories beyond corporate boundaries,” he added. “Productivity may be the hook; measurable resilience and compliance will decide the deal.”

Regulatory scrutiny expected

Analysts warned the Chrome AI integration could trigger renewed antitrust scrutiny given recent court warnings. “The integration of Gemini into Chrome almost guarantees renewed scrutiny,” Gogia observed. “Regulators will probe whether this is innovation or bundling by another name.”

If Google’s AI defaults channeled traffic to its services or prevented equal competitor access, “both US and European watchdogs may see echoes of past abuses,” he warned.

This regulatory uncertainty could complicate enterprise contracts. “Unless Google demonstrates openness and genuine interoperability, the spectre of antitrust will hang over every enterprise negotiation,” Gogia said. Google’s Chrome AI rollout represented a strategic bet on browser-based productivity tools as competitive pressures mounted. Success would depend on demonstrating measurable workplace benefits while navigating enterprise security requirements and potential regulatory challenges.