OpenAI is adding new tools to ChatGPT while moving forward with a browser project known internally as “Aura.” The latest updates reflect steady efforts to extend the platform’s features without drawing much attention to individual rollouts.
Image Styles Now Built Into ChatGPT
ChatGPT’s image generation tool now includes built-in visual styles. This lets users select a preferred look, like Retro Cartoon, Anime or Photo Shoot, without having to write detailed prompts. People can upload a photo, choose a preset, and get an image that closely matches that theme.
The feature is designed to save time and reduce guesswork. Before this change, users often had to write long, structured prompts to create art that looked the way they wanted. Even then, the results could vary. The new style picker removes some of that friction.
The option is available in the ChatGPT interface and can be used without any subscription or payment. For example, someone trying to create an anime version of a portrait can now do so in a few clicks. The image output typically reflects the selected theme in form and tone, whether it’s stylized, soft, or more detailed.
‘Aura’ Browser Appears in Testing
Alongside upgrades inside ChatGPT, OpenAI is also testing a browser codenamed “Aura”, as spotted by Tibor Blaho. Traces of the browser have turned up in the app’s code. Labels like “is Aura” and “Aura Sidebar” point to possible browser functions or early user interface elements.
OpenAI has not made a public announcement about the project. However, earlier reports described a Chromium-based browser that would carry AI-assisted features. This would place OpenAI in a similar space as Perplexity, which is already offering AI-driven web browsing.
The browser seems to be in development across desktop and mobile platforms. Since Chromium can run on multiple systems, OpenAI’s tool may be designed for broad compatibility from the start. A few speculative reports have even mentioned the company’s interest in buying an existing browser if legal shifts affect the browser market. No clear steps have been taken on that front.
Other Tools in the Pipeline
OpenAI is also building GPT-5, its next major model. This version is expected to combine lessons from earlier versions, though technical details are still under wraps.
Some internal experiments are focusing on computer agents that could support more complex tasks inside ChatGPT. These tools may help break down or guide user inputs step by step, though public access has not begun.
Steady Rollout, Broader Aims
By adding simple tools like style selectors and working on deeper features like browsers and agents, OpenAI appears to be widening ChatGPT’s role. The upgrades are arriving quietly, but each one brings a small shift in how users interact with the system.
For now, users can expect easier ways to create visuals and, eventually, more AI-driven support in how they browse, search, or work across the web.
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