Introducing Norton Neo: The Browser Ahead of You

Associated Press

29-05-2025

From Netscape Navigator to Google Chrome: 30 Years of Browser Evolution
Thirty years ago, Netscape went public and helped launch the internet era. Its browser, Netscape Navigator, led the way and laid the foundation for how billions of people would access the web.
As the internet grew, so did the competition. Internet Explorer soon surged ahead, at one point holding over 90% of the market share and becoming the default gateway to the online world. But as applications became more dynamic and interactive (with digital platforms like Gmail, Facebook and Google Maps), IE struggled to keep up. These apps ran slowly and fell short of expectations.
Then, Chrome emerged. It wasn't just incrementally better; it delivered 10 times the leap in performance for JavaScript-heavy applications. The improvement was undeniable. What seemed impossible — taking market share from IE — became inevitable, simply because Chrome made life 10 times better for the new internet experience.
Fast forward to 2024, I joined Gen with a clear vision: Generative AI will redefine how consumers enter the digital world. Fittingly, my team has been working in the same office building where Netscape Navigator team made history, and it's here that we're carrying the torch to re-invent the browser for the AI era.
Browsers Were Due for a Revolution. This is it.
Today, we face a new, equally urgent pain point. The internet is no longer only a collection of websites. It's a fragmented universe of emails, documents, messages, meetings, tabs and cloud and web services scattered across tabs and accounts. We're drowning in information and switching contexts all day, yet struggling to get to what really matters fast.
We don't need more information. We need fewer barriers. Less friction. Less cognitive overhead. More clarity. More outcomes.
It's time for a new leap.
Introducing Norton Neo
That leap begins with Norton Neo — the world's first Safe AI-native browser.
Norton Neo is built for a world where information is abundant, but focus is scarce. Where apps multiply, but time doesn't. With Neo, AI works seamlessly within your browser — no app switching, no tab overload. Just a proactive assistant powered by ChatGPT-level intelligence you can trust.
Neo doesn't just respond — it anticipates.
Today's launch is more than a new product. It's a statement:
That the browser, one of the most-used apps on every computer — is overdue for reinvention, and that meaningful innovation can come from an S&P 500 company like Gen. Our goal here is simple: to build technology that helps people live more freely and confidently online. During this early access phase of Norton Neo, we're excited to hear what people think — your feedback will help shape what Neo becomes. We're listening, we're learning and we're focused on creating a smarter, safer digital world for everyone.
This is just the beginning — not only of a new product, but a new category. Here's what you can expect with Norton Neo in the future.
A New Vision for the Way We Browse
1. AI-Native: Empowering You Behind the Scenes
Most AI tools today feel disjointed. You jump between apps. You paste prompts. You reword questions.
Neo plans to change that.
Neo will bring you the intelligence of ChatGPT — but no heavy prompts, no friction, no effort. It works in the background, offering proactive support when you need it.
2. Reinventing Search: A Browser That Connects Your Entire Digital World
The traditional browser searched the public web. The new browser searches and helps manage your entire digital world.
Looking for a document you saw last week? Neo retrieves it. Need a meeting summary? It's already parsed and ready to go. Why leave the tab open when your AI can remember and find everything for you? Why juggle 100 tabs like it's still the last decade?
This isn't just about finding faster as Google Chrome has been doing it for more than a decade. It's about discovering smarter. Neo turns chaos into clarity by being more proactive and more personalized.
3. More Than a Browser but a Doer
The next browser isn't a tool. It's a partner, an agent or a personal assistant. It can take action, finish tasks and bring you clarity. The more capable your AI, the more powerful your experience.
Need to cancel a reservation, send a follow-up email or fill out a form? Neo handles it or prepares for you.
From routine tasks to complex decisions, it's the browser that works with you — quietly, intelligently and safely.
It's not just faster browsing; it's smarter living.
4. Built-in Protection from the Start
Neo is built on Chromium, so it works with the extensions you already rely on. But what makes it different is what's built in: always-on protection, free ad blocking and trusted safe browsing — all powered by Norton's decades of security expertise.
As AI becomes more powerful, trust matters more than ever for everyday people like you and me. That's why Neo brings intelligence to your browser with protection built in from the very start. Backed by a brand known for putting people first, Neo is designed to help you explore what's next with confidence.
You don't have to trade intelligence for security or speed for peace of mind. With Neo, smart is secure and your protection is always on.
A Paradigm Shift in the Making
Just like Netscape Navigator, Internet Explorer and Google Chrome defined their generations, Norton Neo is here to define the next one.
This isn't about another upgrade. This is about a complete reinvention of how you live and work online. A shift from reactive browsing to anticipatory companionship. From clutter and fragmentation to clarity and flow. From Information to Intelligence to Outcome.
It's about breaking down the barriers between you and your potential. It's about trust, intelligence, simplicity — and yes, a little bit of magic.
The age of reactive browsing is ending. The age of the browser ahead of you is just beginning.
Learn more about the First Safe AI-native Browser here: https://neotoday.ai.
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