Will AI Client Applications replace browsers ?

AI has largely changed and is still changing the way we interact with computers. In the past, when I needed information on the web, I would search, read blog posts, and browse through different pages. Now I often just ask an AI.

Yes, I know this is not really the job of the browser. This is the job of the search engine. So is AI only replacing search engines? No. I think this is only the beginning.

I will refer to applications such as ChatGPT Desktop App and Claude Desktop App as AI Clients. At first, AI Clients were only capable of chatting and streaming text responses. Over time that changed. They added canvases for working on documents, image generation, voice interaction, and more.

Then something important happened: MCP.

MCP allowed these clients to work with third party applications. For example, by using an airline MCP such as the Turkish Airlines MCP, users can search for flights, get booking details, and perform other actions simply by asking the AI, without needing to use a browser.

Ok cool, but the web is more than that, and text is not always the best representation of data. Users want interactivity.

This is where MCP Apps come in. MCP Apps allow developers to build interactive UIs within the AI Client. You can see an overview here: MCP Apps.

Ok but there is a problem. I would need to add the MCP to my AI Client for every website, and that would not be very intuitive.

This is where WebMCP comes in. WebMCP is currently available as an early preview: WebMCP. The idea is that websites can publish their own MCP endpoints.

So in theory AI Clients could search the web, go to a website, check if there is an MCP available, and perform tasks through it.

Right now this still feels far away and not very intuitive. But as websites evolve to be more agentic, it is possible that many tasks we currently perform through browsers could move directly into AI clients.

Although all of the above may happen, we might still keep using browsers for the experience. Sometimes we visit websites simply to explore.

For example, I like going to Hacker News, skimming through the articles, and checking new Ask HN posts. Not because I have to, but simply because I enjoy it.

This might change the role of the browser rather than eliminate it.

AI Clients may become the place where we do things. Browsers may remain the place where we explore.

So browsers may not disappear, but they might stop being the default way we interact with the internet.