Google Revolutionizes Chrome Enterprise with Auto Browse and AI Skills

Google Revolutionizes Chrome Enterprise with Auto Browse and AI Skills

Chrome Enterprise is transforming into a work environment optimized by artificial intelligence, integrating task automation features, streamlined workflows, and advanced IT security controls.

Key Takeaways

• Chrome Enterprise integrates agent-like AI to automate business tasks.
• The new "Skills" allow employees to instantly save and reuse AI workflows.
• IT teams benefit from increased visibility and controls to manage AI-related security risks.

Google recently unveiled a series of new features for Chrome, specifically designed for businesses. These updates introduce AI capabilities for employees while providing IT teams with enhanced control over the AI tools used within the organization. Chrome Enterprise thus becomes a space where work is facilitated by AI, operating in real-time, and where administrators can enforce security measures directly within the browser.

1. Auto Browse

One of the major innovations in Chrome Enterprise is the Auto Browse feature from Gemini. Already tested in the public version of Chrome, it is now available to Workspace users in the United States. This feature endows the browser with autonomous capabilities, similar to those of an agent, which can act on your behalf based on the items open in your browser.

In practical terms, this means that if you are working on a Google Doc, browsing a company website, or using a CRM, you can ask Gemini in Chrome Enterprise to perform tasks across your open tabs. Google explained that this could transform the content of your Google Doc into a new sales opportunity by integrating all relevant details, creating contacts, and setting everything up in the CRM for you. However, it is necessary to review and approve actions before they are executed.

2. Skills

Google is also introducing "Skills" in Chrome Enterprise, allowing users to save and reuse AI workflows. This one-click feature, recently launched for consumers in Chrome, is now available in Workspace. The idea is that if you find yourself asking Gemini the same thing throughout your workday, you can save that request as a Skill and execute it instantly on any page in your browser.

Simply type / in the Gemini sidebar, select your Skill, and it executes immediately on the page you are viewing. Over time, you can build a library of repeatable tasks customized to how you or your team work. As a security measure, most Skills require confirmation before being executed. Google clarified that Workspace queries are not used to train its AI models.

3. Gemini Summary

Given that employees can already use AI tools on their own initiative, Google highlights a risk of "Shadow AI" where sensitive data could be shared with unmonitored tools. To address this, Chrome Enterprise now provides IT teams with visibility into AI usage within the organization, including the tools employees access, unusual behaviors of extensions or agents, and unapproved tools. Google stated that its GenAI and SaaS report will flag authorized and unauthorized tools, while Chrome Enterprise extension telemetry will help IT administrators detect suspicious activities. This data can be integrated into platforms like SecOps and other SIEM tools.

Administrators can block risky extensions using third-party risk scores, restrict them by category, and uninstall them remotely. Google is also adding a "Gemini Summary" module to the administrator dashboard. This module uses AI to summarize updates, highlight changes, and suggest actions for IT administrators in a condensed overview.

Additionally, integrations with platforms like Okta add an extra layer of security. Indeed, Google and Okta have introduced new features to reduce session hijacking by linking authentication sessions to the secure hardware of a device, making stolen cookies unusable. IT teams will also be able to remotely wipe Chrome browsing data, such as cookies, on compromised devices.