Just browsing
Atlassian's browser bet is part defence, part gamble on how we’ll use software when the next wave of AI hits. But convincing knowledge workers to switch over will be a tough ask.
Last week’s USD610 million ($930 million) acquisition of The Browser Company by Atlassian is the latest sign that tech incumbents know AI is about to seriously test their business models. And the Aussie software giant isn’t waiting around to see what happens when the wheels come off.
The Browser Company made a splash back in 2022 with the announcement of Arc, a browser sold as a more personalised and beautiful way of surfing the web. It was an intriguing pitch at a time when browsers largely seemed like a boring, solved product, with the market dominated by Google Chrome and — in distant second place — Apple’s Safari.
But Arc didn’t blow the roof off. Regular users are stubborn about switching from tools that work well enough, and it mostly found an audience with design nerds and power users.
Then ChatGPT landed, and suddenly it looked like a bet on the wrong future entirely. So the startup parked Arc and launched Dia, a browser marketed as built for the AI era.
