AI Browser War Heats Up: Microsoft, Google Battle for Dominance

The battle for user entry points in the AI era is heating up, with Microsoft and Google both determined to dominate the browser market.

Microsoft recently announced that it will embed its CoPilot assistant into its Edge browser, giving it the ability to control user tabs, book hotels, and perform other tasks—moves clearly aimed at seizing market share.

As the current industry leader, Google is not sitting idly by. Sources say Google is the largest financial backer of the “Browser Choice Alliance” (BCA), a coalition including Opera, Vivaldi, and other browser makers that accuses Microsoft of abusing its Windows operating system dominance to improperly promote Edge.

The key to winning the browser war lies in cultivating new user habits. Perplexity told the media that users who install its Comet browser conduct three times as many daily AI searches as before. Microsoft has already taken the early lead, while Google appears to be lagging in AI browser development. If the industry returns to a “hundred flowers bloom” era, the biggest loser would undoubtedly be Chrome.

In addition to sponsoring the BCA alliance, Google has also taken direct action. A company spokesperson said: “Microsoft uses various manipulative design practices that make it difficult for Windows users to continue using their preferred browsers. The evidence is clear, and we are concerned.”

In response to BCA’s accusations, Microsoft has hit back, calling Google’s complaints ironic. A Microsoft spokesperson said: “The company dominating the browser market is not Microsoft—it’s Google.” Globally, Google commands 68% of the desktop browser market, while Edge holds just 5%. Microsoft also emphasized that Google itself is abusing its market dominance and is currently under antitrust investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice.