Despise internet pop-ups? Google Chrome is testing an AI-powered feature to help end these

(Image credit: Pixabay)

Google Chrome's PermissionsAI test anticipates user permissions.
PermissionsAI could reduce intrusive pop-ups by analyzing user behavior.
It is currently in Chrome Canary for early testing now.

Google’s Chrome browser is testing a new feature dubbed PermissionsAI, which is designed to make those pesky pop-ups asking for access to your location or permission to send notifications much quieter.

The tool uses Google's “Permission Predictions Service” and Gemini Nano v2 to guess whether users are likely to grant a website’s request. If the answer is probably no, the feature tucks the request into a less intrusive UI instead of flashing it front and center like it currently does.

The idea is for Chrome to use AI to make browsing more pleasant by quietly handling the minor annoyances that can pile up when online. PermissionsAI analyzes your previous interactions with similar requests to predict your response. If you’re the kind of person who reflexively denies every notification pop-up, PermissionsAI won’t even bother you with a loud, in-your-face request. Instead, it quietly logs the request in a subtle UI where you can engage with it later.

PermissionsAI is currently being tested in Chrome Canary – the experimental version of the browser – and isn’t available to the public yet. It pairs well with the Safe Browsing security tool, which shields users from harmful websites and malicious downloads, meaning a wrong guess won't wreak havoc on your computer.

Browsing AI

This marks the latest move by Google to embed AI in Chrome. Gemini is now part of many of the browser's features, with the AI organizing open tabs, offering product comparisons, and helping to compose text. PermissionsAI, though, is less flashy than other features and may turn out to be one of the more appreciated improvements simply because it removes a common irritation.

While the concept is straightforward, the details of how PermissionsAI works remain vague. Google hasn’t disclosed exactly how its AI calculates the likelihood of you clicking “Allow” versus “Deny,” but it’s safe to assume the system leans heavily on machine learning.

By studying patterns in user behavior, Chrome could cut down on interruptions and make life a little easier for web developers who hear complaints about their pop-ups annoying people.

It’s worth asking whether PermissionsAI and other Gemini-powered features will strike the right balance between helpful and intrusive. While reducing the noise of pop-ups is universally appealing, AI-powered predictions aren’t infallible.

What happens if PermissionsAI incorrectly predicts that you wouldn’t want to approve a request and you miss an important pop-up entirely? Still, if PermissionsAI can reliably filter out the noise while giving users control over important decisions, it could become one of Chrome’s most welcome features yet.

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Eric Hal Schwartz is a freelance writer for TechRadar with more than 15 years of experience covering the intersection of the world and technology. For the last five years, he served as head writer for Voicebot.ai and was on the leading edge of reporting on generative AI and large language models. He's since become an expert on the products of generative AI models, such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Anthropic’s Claude, Google Gemini, and every other synthetic media tool. His experience runs the gamut of media, including print, digital, broadcast, and live events. Now, he's continuing to tell the stories people want and need to hear about the rapidly evolving AI space and its impact on their lives. Eric is based in New York City.