Amazon launches AI agent which can take control of a web browser

• Nova Act AI agent is designed to control a web browser with simple functions
• It scored 94% on ScreenSpot Web Text, outperforming OpenAI and Anthropic
• It comprises five models – Nova Micro, Lite, Pro, Canvas and Reel

Amazon has launched a new AI agent designed to control a web browser and perform simple browsing tasks autonomously.

Currently available in research preview, Amazon says Nova Act is part of its efforts to deliver “real-world value” for all types of customers, including shoppers, sellers and advertisers – not just enterprises.

US-based customers with an Amazon account can start using the platform immediately, even though it’s not a full release, by visiting nova.amazon.com, where it can automate simple tasks like ordering food, making reservations, filling out forms or selecting calendar dates.

Amazon Nova Act models and online service

Nova Act is accompanied by Nova Act SDK, which enables developers to build their own browser-based AI agents using the same technology.

“nova.amazon.com puts the power of Amazon’s frontier intelligence into the hands of every developer and tech enthusiast, making it easier than ever to explore the capabilities of Amazon Nova,” said Rohit Prasad, SVP of Amazon Artificial General Intelligence.

Three separate models have been launched to support the tool and SDK with text generation capabilities – Nova Micro, Lite, and Pro – as well as a fourth for image generation (Nova Canvas) and a fifth for video generation (Nova Reel).

The company noted agents are still in their “early stage[s]” and that their usefulness will only grow as developments continue to roll out.

Moreover, Amazon’s internal tests demonstrate how Nova Act outperformed key rivals, including Anthropic’s Claude 3.7 Sonnet (90%) and OpenAI’s CUA (88%) on the ScreenSpot Web Text benchmark, designed to test how the models interact with text on screen. Nova Act scored an impressive 94%.

It’s also possible that Nova Act could play a key role in the company’s upcoming Alexa+ upgrade, which improves the utility of the company’s popular voice assistant with AI.

We tried to access the site from the UK, but were greeted with the following message: “Thank you for your interest in Amazon Nova. At this time, we are only accepting customers in the US.”

It’s unclear when Amazon will roll the online service out more broadly.

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