Microsoft has rolled out a major upgrade to its Edge browser, introducing an enhanced “Copilot Mode” that effectively turns Edge into an AI-powered browser. The timing just, two days after OpenAI announced its Atlas browser, has sparked comparisons between the two products, both pitched as intelligent companions for web users.
According to Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman, the revamped Copilot Mode is designed to function as “a dynamic, intelligent companion” that can understand what users are doing online and assist them in real time. With user consent, Copilot can analyse open tabs, summarise or compare information, and even perform actions such as booking hotels or filling out online forms.
Microsoft had first introduced Copilot Mode in Edge back in July, featuring basic voice navigation and AI-powered search. The latest update takes it much further, adding two key tools: “Actions,” which enable Copilot to perform tasks like completing forms or making bookings, and “Journeys,” which help users track connections and context across multiple open tabs.
The upgrade effectively positions Edge as Microsoft’s entry into the emerging AI browser category, directly challenging OpenAI’s Atlas. While Microsoft’s Copilot Mode had likely been in the works long before Atlas’s reveal, the overlap in timing and functionality hasn’t gone unnoticed. Both browsers feature minimalist layouts, AI chat integration, and side-by-side browsing assistance.
Visually, the two products look strikingly similar. Edge’s Copilot interface features a darker backdrop and follows Windows design conventions, while Atlas uses a slightly different layout. But at their core, both deliver the same concept, a built-in AI assistant that helps users navigate, analyse, and act on web content more efficiently.
Still, the real distinction lies beneath the surface. Microsoft’s Copilot relies on its own integrated models and tight ecosystem links across Windows and Office, while OpenAI’s Atlas is built around GPT technology and an independent user interface.
With both products launching in the same week, the rivalry between Microsoft and OpenAI has taken a new turn, one that could shape how people experience the web in the AI era.
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