Microsoft Edge Unveils New API to Empower Developers in Creating AI Web Applications
Microsoft Edge Introduces New API to Empower Developers in Creating AI Web Applications
In an exciting announcement at the 2025 Build Conference, Microsoft unveiled a new set of APIs designed to help developers seamlessly integrate artificial intelligence functionalities into web applications using the Edge browser. This initiative marks Microsoft's strategic move to compete with Google Chrome, which also offers similar built-in AI capabilities for developers.
Key Features of the New API
The newly launched APIs enable websites and Edge browser extensions to access Phi4mini, an AI model released in late February. Phi4mini boasts approximately 3.8 billion parameters, focusing on solving mathematical problems. Its effectiveness is attributed to a diverse training dataset that includes both artificially generated and synthetic data. Generally, a higher number of parameters correlates with better problem-solving capabilities, although smaller models are more efficient on lower-spec hardware like laptops and mobile devices.
In addition to Phi4mini, Edge has introduced a variety of other AI APIs, including writing assistance tools for text generation, summarization, and editing. Microsoft also plans to roll out a translation API in the coming months, enabling AI-driven language translation services through Edge.
Privacy and Security Considerations
According to Microsoft, these experimental APIs aim to establish potential web standards that facilitate interoperability across different platforms and browsers, allowing collaboration with other AI models. For developers working with sensitive data or in regulated industries, these APIs offer local processing capabilities, ensuring privacy and security without the need to send data to external cloud services.
Availability and Additional Features
The new AI APIs are currently available in the Edge Canary and Dev channels, allowing developers to experience these features ahead of the general release. Additionally, Microsoft has introduced a PDF translation tool in the Edge browser, supporting translations in over 70 languages. Users can simply open a PDF file in Edge and click the "Translate" icon in the address bar to create a new document translated into their chosen language. This PDF translation feature is set to be officially launched next month, with Canary users able to test it today.
Highlights
- Microsoft has launched new Edge APIs to support developers in integrating AI functionalities into web applications.
- The new APIs include access to the Phi4mini model and writing assistance features for text generation and editing.
- Edge browser now features a PDF translation tool that supports translations in up to 70 languages.
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