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I use Edge as my default browser - but its new AI mode is unreliable and annoying


Microsoft just added a bunch of new features into the AI-powered Copilot Mode in its Edge browser. But can it really compete with Google and Perplexity? I tried it to find out.

Screenshot by Ed Bott/ZDNETPressing Enter sends you into a chat session with Copilot, which sprinkles folksy little bits of personalized banter into the conversation, offering me an "Ed-Style Reality Check" and "Ed-level fine print" at various points. The blog post announcing the changes is typically upbeat, anthropomorphizing the Copilot features to put a friendly face on what is, deep down, a computational exercise happening in Microsoft's data centers. "Coming soon," the accompanying post says, "you will be able to give Copilot permission to access the additional browser context it needs, such as your history and credentials, to take more advanced and seamless actions -- like booking reservations or managing errands on your behalf."

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