Opera has introduced WebAI, a new web standard designed to run AI models locally within the browser, eliminating the need for cloud infrastructure. The system supports open-weight AI models, including Google's Gemma and Apple's native base models on Mac devices.
The feature is currently available in the Opera One browser, with plans to expand to Opera GX and Opera Neon. Users must manually activate these capabilities, and a permission-based system ensures that websites cannot access local models without explicit user consent.
WebAI allows for text generation, content classification, and data matching directly on the user's device. The technology is compatible with 64-bit Windows PCs using Intel or AMD processors, as well as Apple silicon Macs, with performance dependent on local hardware.
Additionally, Opera unveiled the HTML-in-Canvas standard, which enables developers to integrate functional web pages into 2D and 3D environments. This allows interactive elements like menus and forms to remain operational within virtual spaces, as demonstrated in the Gamer Room project.
