ARC Browser and AI

random, unasked for thoughts about the nature of ai & the internet

May 23, 2024

ai & i started off weird

I’m a casual user of technology. I enjoy it, but I’m not obsessed. I stay up to date with new releases and follow some software engineers on social despite not knowing a lick of code.

So, it’s surprising that I didn’t try ChatGPT until I downloaded ARC Browser. A chromium browser built to change the way users interact with the internet. When it began, it had a simple shortcut to open ChatGPT, but after some updates, it’s changed the way I think about AI’s role in our experience of the internet.

1. ai in the simple things

I appreciate organization. I always have. Yet, I always was so frustrated when downloading files (which I do a lot of) that I had to change almost every file name.

It wasn’t until ARC’s auto-rename downloads feature was released that I began to appreciate the power of AI in my life. It’s a simple task that suddenly made my file system work. I haven’t renamed a file in a long time.

2. the forbidden tool in research

Now, I’m not talking about academic analysis pulling from a wide range of respectable resources. Not by a long shot. I’m talking about searching on Google and opening 15 tabs, fighting ads, and working through web pages until I found what I needed.

Or… I hover over a link and AI summarizes the page. It takes a few seconds but saves me minutes. GAME CHANGING.

3. browse for me

ARC recently released a mobile app named “ARC Search.” It’s a different approach to a mobile browser. On launch, the app automatically opens a search bar, bridging the gap from question to answer. Beyond that, the app was relatively useless for a few months.

Until… “browse for me.” ARC Search will create a custom webpage for your search query, linking sourced articles and providing summaries of multiple websites. Need to know why Ireland and green are synonymous? It’s never been easier.

in summary…

AI tools often grab our attention by offering to take one large task off our plates, but what if the most helpful way to use artificial intelligence is to let it take five small steps out of our day?

I’m excited to see how ARC continues to explore this idea.