Opera introduces WebAI standard to run AI models locally in browser

Opera introduces WebAI, a proposed web standard that enables websites and browser extensions to execute AI models locally on user hardware rather than relying on remote data centers. Launched in early preview on Opera One on October 27, 2026, the standard is model-agnostic and supports open models like Google's Gemma alongside Apple's foundation model on Mac devices. Backed by Google and Microsoft, WebAI allows developers to integrate text generation and classification without backend server costs, while keeping user data private under strict opt-in permissions.

WebAI introduction and system support

• ▪WebAI is available as an opt-in early preview on Opera One for 64-bit Windows PCs and Apple silicon Macs, with plans to support Opera GX and Opera Neon later.
• ▪Opera began testing on-device large language models in its browser developer channel in April 2024 prior to introducing the WebAI standard.
• ▪Opera introduced WebAI, a proposed web standard that allows websites and browser extensions to run open AI models locally inside the browser
• ▪Opera stated that WebAI has backing from Google and Microsoft, is model-agnostic, and supports Google's Gemma models and Apple's on-device foundation model on compatible Macs.

Privacy and performance characteristics of WebAI

• ▪WebAI keeps processed information on the user's device and requires no cloud service, third-party AI subscription, or user account.
• ▪WebAI is disabled by default in Opera One, requiring users to explicitly enable the standard and grant permission for each site to access local models.
• ▪Opera noted that local AI processing performance and speed depend on the user's hardware rather than cloud infrastructure.

Developer capabilities and example extensions

• ▪WebAI allows third-party web developers to add local AI features to websites and extensions without running their own servers or paying per-request API fees.
• ▪WebAI allows local models to generate text, classify content, and identify relationships between data points within the browser.
• ▪Opera released example WebAI extensions demonstrating local automated tab sorting, clickbait detection, and job listing search capabilities.

HTML-in-canvas feature and demos

• ▪Opera released two functional HTML-in-Canvas demos, including Webpage Bulldozer and Gamer Room, which operate in Opera browsers without requiring additional setup.
• ▪Opera introduced HTML-in-Canvas, an experimental browser feature allowing developers to place interactive HTML and CSS webpages inside 2D and 3D scenes.