WICG Proposal for Browser AI API for Utilizing On-Device Models

The Browser AI API is a proposal for a new browser feature that makes AI models accessible directly on users' devices through the browser. By offering a simple API available on the window object, this approach would allow websites to leverage AI without sending data to the cloud, preserving privacy, reducing latency, and enabling offline functionality.

This is about empowering developers to integrate advanced AI into web apps—without needing heavy infrastructure—while giving users control over their data and the models they choose to run. Imagine a world where on-device AI enhances web apps in real-time, with no data leaving the device and no reliance on external servers.

The API would let developers:

Query available AI models on a users' device. Request user permission to access specific models. Create sessions with the models. Perform common tasks like text generation, embeddings, and chat. By running models directly on the user's hardware, we’re opening up new possibilities for AI-driven web apps while keeping things secure, private, and available offline.