Apps

SigmaOS launches a contextual AI assistant for its browser

Comment

SigmaOS splash screen
Image Credits: SigmaOS

While OpenAI launched an official ChatGPT app for iOS, most of the AI-powered chatbots are still best accessible through the web. And that’s why browsers are stepping up to integrate AI-aided features within their apps. LocalGlobe- and Y Combinator-backed web browser startup SigmaOS launched its own AI assistant on Thursday to a limited set of people.

The company says that the unique thing about Airis, its AI assistant, is that understands a page’s context and gives you answers based on that. Here’s a good example: if you are reading about Manchester United, ask Airis to explain “United” or ask questions about it, the bot understands that you are asking about the football team and not just the word.

Image Credits: SigmaOS

A nice thing about Airis is that you can easily call it by right-clicking on a text selection rather than having to open a side column or another tab. But if you want to have a contextual conversation, you can always press A to open the assistant in split-screen mode.

Additionally, Airis can rewrite or reword sentences or paragraphs. There are pre-written prompts like “Make it simpler,” “Written by a child” and “Add humor”. You can also use your own prompts like “Write this in 200 words.” There are also some fun options like “Write it like a pirate” and “Write it like a cat.” SigmaOS’s new assistant can also effectively translate articles and webpages in multiple languages using the GPT-3.5-Turbo model.

Image Credits: SigmaOS

The unique thing about these functions is that you will see Airis “rewriting” or translating the words on the pages. SigmaOS says that with agents like ChatGPT, you can only run one thread at a time.

However, with Airis, you can assign multiple rewriting or translation tasks on different pages and you don’t have to wait for one to finish. The startup says this is possible due to the clever implementation of token usage within its algorithm. Airis is currently based on OpenAI tech but the team is open to integrating other models like Claude and Alpaca.

SigmaOS is not the only browser toying with the idea of integrating assistants. Microsoft Edge integrated the GPT-4 powered Bing AI bot in March. Opera is experimenting with integrating multiple chatbots in its sidebar. Mozilla is reportedly working on integrating a chatbot within Firefox as well. Mircosoft is also preparing to launch the Bing AI plugin for other browsers such as Chrome and Firefox.

Mahyad Ghassemibouyaghchi, one of the co-founders of the startup, said that people currently have to sign up to a waitlist to get access to Airis — but the company is admitting new people every day. He also mentioned that, in the coming months, the startup aims to train Airis to understand whole websites. Customers will also be able to ask any question about the service and perform tasks like creating a SigmaOS workspace for an upcoming holiday, and help users with questions about the browser it self.

More TechCrunch

Bike-taxi startup Rapido has become the latest Indian startup to become a unicorn, or reach $1 billion in valuation. The eight-year-old firm has raised $120 million in a new funding…

India’s Rapido becomes unicorn with fresh $120 million funding

Government websites aren’t known for cutting-edge tech. GovWell co-founder and CTO Ben Cohen discovered this while trying to help his dad, a contractor, apply for building permits. Cohen worked as…

GovWell is bringing automation and efficiency to local governments

Critics have long argued that wararantless device searches at the U.S. border are unconstitutional and violate the Fourth Amendment.

US border agents must get warrant before cell phone searches, federal court rules

Featured Article

UK’s Zapp EV plans to expand globally with an early start in India

Zapp is launching its urban electric two-wheeler in India in 2025 as it plans to expand globally.

UK’s Zapp EV plans to expand globally with an early start in India

The first time I saw Google’s latest commercial, I wondered, “Is it just me, or is this kind of bad?” By the fourth or fifth time I saw it, I’d…

Dear Google, who wants an AI-written fan letter?

Featured Article

MatPat, the first big YouTuber to successfully exit his company, is lobbying for creators on Capitol Hill

Though MatPat retired from YouTube, he’s still pretty busy. In fact, he’s been spending a lot of time on Capitol Hill.

MatPat, the first big YouTuber to successfully exit his company, is lobbying for creators on Capitol Hill

Featured Article

A tale of two foldables

Samsung is still foldables’ 500-pound gorilla, but the company successes have made the category significantly less lonely in recent years.

A tale of two foldables

The California Department of Motor Vehicles this week granted Nuro approval to test its third-generation R3 autonomous delivery vehicle in four Bay Area cities, giving the AV startup a positive…

Autonomous delivery startup Nuro is gearing up for a comeback

With Ghostery turning 15 years old this month, TechCrunch caught up with CEO Jean-Paul Schmetz to discuss the company’s strategy and the state of ad tracking.

Ghostery’s CEO says regulation won’t save us from ad trackers

Two years ago, workers at an Apple Store in Towson, Maryland were the first to establish a formally recognized union at an Apple retail store in the United States. Now…

Apple reaches its first contract agreement with a US retail union

OpenAI is testing SearchGPT, a new AI search experience to compete directly with Google. The feature aims to elevate search queries with “timely answers” from across the internet and allows…

OpenAI comes for Google with SearchGPT

Indian cryptocurrency exchange WazirX announced on Saturday a controversial plan to “socialize” the $230 million loss from its recent security breach among all its customers, a move that has sent…

WazirX to ‘socialize’ $230 million security breach loss among customers

Featured Article

Stay up-to-date on the amount of venture dollars going to underrepresented founders

Stay up-to-date on the latest funding news for Black and women founders.

Stay up-to-date on the amount of venture dollars going to underrepresented founders

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the U.S. Commerce Department agency that develops and tests tech for the U.S. government, companies and the broader public, has re-released a…

NIST releases a tool for testing AI model risk

Featured Article

Max Space reinvents expandable habitats with a 17th-century twist, launching in 2026

Max Space’s expandable habitats promise to be larger, stronger, and more versatile than anything like them ever launched, not to mention cheaper and lighter by far than a solid, machined structure.

Max Space reinvents expandable habitats with a 17th-century twist, launching in 2026

Payments giant Stripe has acquired a four-year-old competitor, Lemon Squeezy, the latter company announced Friday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. As a merchant of record, Lemon Squeezy calculates…

Stripe acquires payment processing startup Lemon Squeezy

iCloud Private Relay has not been working for some Apple users across major markets, including the U.S., Europe, India and Japan.

Apple reports iCloud Private Relay global outages for some users

Welcome to Startups Weekly — your weekly recap of everything you can’t miss from the world of startups. To get Startups Weekly in your inbox every Friday, sign up here. This…

Legal tech, VC brawls and saying no to big offers

Apple joins 15 other tech companies — including Google, Meta, Microsoft and OpenAI — that committed to the White House’s rules for developing generative AI.

Apple signs the White House’s commitment to AI safety

The language is ambiguous, so it’s not clear whether X is helping itself to all user data for training Grok or whether this processing refers only to user interactions with…

Privacy watchdog says it’s ‘surprised’ by Elon Musk opting user data into Grok AI training

Sound Search on TikTok is somewhat similar to YouTube Music’s song detection tool that lets you find the name of a song by singing, humming or playing it. 

TikTok rolls out a new feature that lets you find songs by singing or humming them

Skip, a wearable tech startup that began as a secretive project inside Alphabet, exited stealth this week to announce a partnership with outdoor clothing specialist Arc’teryx. The deal is the…

Alphabet X spinoff partners with Arc’teryx to bring ‘everyday’ exoskeleton to market

Ledger, a French startup mostly known for its secure crypto hardware wallets, has launched a new mid-range device, the Ledger Flex. Available now, priced at $249, the dinky hardware wallet…

Ledger launches Ledger Flex, a mid-range hardware crypto wallet

The good news is that you can switch off the new data-sharing setting and also delete your conversation history with the AI. 

Here’s how to disable X (Twitter) from using your data to train its Grok AI

Regulators gave SpaceX the all-clear to return to launch two weeks after the Falcon 9 rocket experienced an anomaly on orbit.

SpaceX cleared to resume Falcon 9 launches while FAA investigation remains open

Madison Long and Simone May founded Clutch in 2020 to help connect people to businesses looking for marketing and content creation.

Digital marketing startup Plaiced has acquired Precursor Ventures-backed Clutch

With the CrowdStrike update continuing to cause havoc across the planet, a startup has raised $13.5 million to at least improve some level of security for the kinds of devices…

ZeroTier raises $13.5M to help avert CrowdStrike-like network problems

Apple has reduced prices of its iPhone models in India by 3-4% following a cut in import duties in the South Asian market.

Apple cuts iPhone price in India amid China slowdown

MNT-Halan, a fintech unicorn out of Egypt, is on a consolidation march. The microfinance and payments startup has raised $157.5 million in funding and is using the money in part…

Egypt’s MNT-Halan banks $157.5M, gobbles up a fintech in Turkey to expand

The energy transition is a marathon, not a sprint. But opportunities for acceleration are growing. Swedish startup Greenely* has just spotted one. It’s closing an €8 million Series A funding…

Energy tech startup Greenely grabs €8M to reach more households and support Europe’s energy transition