Opera makes WebAI available for local AI in the Opera One browser
A preview version of WebAI is available in the Opera One browser for running AI models directly on the device. Users must enable the feature. According to Opera, it supports Gemma models as well as the local foundation model from Apple on Mac computers; performance depends on the hardware.
Opera has made WebAI available as an opt-in preview feature in the Opera One browser. Models run directly on the user’s device. According to Opera, this enables text generation, content classification and identification of relationships between pieces of information.
According to Opera, WebAI supports Gemma models with publicly available weights and, on Mac computers, the local foundation model from Apple. The company says the interface is not tied to a single model and is intended to support a broader range of models with available weights.
Opera says information processed by local AI stays on the device and users do not need a cloud AI subscription. According to the company, developers can add AI features without running their own AI infrastructure or paying for each request. However, running models locally puts a load on the computer, and model performance depends on its hardware.
Why it matters
WebAI opens up the possibility of adding text generation and classification to web applications, with processing taking place directly on the user’s device. However, the usability of such features also depends on the performance of the computer running the application.
Two audiences, two different impacts
What this means
For individuals
Opera One users can try AI that processes data directly on their devices. According to Opera, information processed by the local model stays on the computer.
For a business
According to Opera, WebAI offers teams developing web applications a way to reduce AI infrastructure costs and per-request charges. However, they must account for differences in the performance of users’ devices when designing the service.
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