Opera has always been the artisanal coffee shop of browsers. IYKYK. For its loyal userbase, it strikes the right balance between security, performance, and forward-looking features.
On May 28, the company announced Opera Neon, which it describes as “the first AI agentic browser.” Opera Neon is designed to recognize user intent and turn it into automated web actions, positioning the browser itself as a helpful digital coworker rather than a passive window to the internet.
According to Opera, Neon will ship with a built-in conversational agent that can search, summarize pages, and fetch contextual answers inside the interface. A second agent, dubbed Browser Operator, will handle routine tasks such as filling forms, booking hotels, or managing online shopping carts. Opera says these interactions will happen locally to protect privacy.
Neon also links to a cloud-based AI engine that can “research, design, and build” on the user’s behalf. The company claims early testers can ask the browser to draft reports, write code, or even create entire websites and games. Tasks can continue after the user closes the laptop because the agents run in a hosted virtual machine.
The product will launch as a premium subscription service; Opera has not disclosed pricing or a release date. A waitlist opened this week at operaneon.com. The move follows Opera’s March debut of Browser Operator for its flagship browser and its long-running Aria chatbot integration, underscoring the firm’s strategy to differentiate against Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, and Apple Safari by leaning hard into AI features.
Opera is inviting developers and power users to shape Neon’s roadmap, framing today’s release as the first step toward what it calls “the AI agentic web.” For now, the company’s claims remain untested in the market, but the pitch is clear: outsource repetitive clicks to agents so humans can focus on higher-value work.
For the record, I'm an Opera fan, but not a frequent Opera user; it is installed on my laptop, but I really only use it to check out their new features.
As always your thoughts and comments are both welcome and encouraged. Just reply to this email. -s
About Shelly Palmer
Shelly Palmer is the Professor of Advanced Media in Residence at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and CEO of The Palmer Group, a consulting practice that helps Fortune 500 companies with technology, media and marketing. Named LinkedIn’s “Top Voice in Technology,” he covers tech and business for Good Day New York, is a regular commentator on CNN and writes a popular daily business blog. He's a bestselling author, and the creator of the popular, free online course, Generative AI for Execs. Follow @shellypalmer or visit shellypalmer.com.
