Some time ago, Opera became my default web browser. The main reason for that change from Firefox was Opera’s workspaces, which offer the best tab management on the market. Recently, I’ve also started using Opera’s Aria AI option as a more efficient means of research. Although I still use Aria, I also added ChatGPT to the mix because sometimes two voices are better than one.
Also: I replaced Google Search with Opera’s Aria AI feature and I don’t miss the former one bit
Before I get into this, I want to make my opinion on AI clear. I only use AI for one thing and one thing only…research. I have not and will not use AI as a tool to «help» me with my writing. I am a professional writer and I would never rely on a crutch to do my work. And as far as my creative efforts are concerned, AI will never find its way into the mix.
That being said, I want to show you how easy it is to add ChatGPT to Opera. One of the reasons I like using the Opera version of ChatGPT is that you don’t need to install an API key or any other nonsense. In fact, using ChatGPT with Opera is about as obvious as it gets. Yes, you have to register to get a AI open account (they offer some accounts), but that’s it. I simply signed up with my Google account and was done.
If this sounds like something you could benefit from, read on.
Add ChatGPT to Opera
What you will need: The only thing you will need is the most recent version of Opera. And since the feature works on Linux, MacOS, and Windows, it doesn’t matter which desktop operating system you use. I will demonstrate this on my default Ubuntu Budgie Linux desktop operating system. One reason I preferred to use the Opera version of ChatGPT for Linux is that even the command-line version of ChatGPT is unreliable. After installing the app and adding my OpenAI API key, the app didn’t work. With Opera, it took me thirty seconds to start querying.
The first thing you need to do is open the Opera Settings window. This can be done by clicking on the Opera menu and then clicking Settings, or by typing opera: configuration in the address bar.
Scroll down and expand advanced options. Scroll down again until you see AI Services. In that section, you will see a list of ChatGPT in the sidebar. Click the On/Off slider until it is in the On position.
You can enable as many AI services as you want. Jack Wallen/ZDNET
You should now see a ChatGPT icon in the Opera sidebar. Click that icon and then click Sign In. You can then enter your OpenAI credentials or sign in with your Google account.
You can log in with your account or create a new one from here. Jack Wallen/ZDNET
After logging into your account, if you click on the ChatGPT icon again, you will see the sidebar giving you access to a message. Write your query and ChatGPT will respond almost immediately. When a chat is completed, you can copy it to your operating system’s clipboard and rate it with a thumbs up or thumbs down.
Start your interaction with ChatGPT here. Jack Wallen/ZDNET
Your queries are saved, so you can retrieve them quickly. Open the ChatGPT sidebar and then click the two horizontal lines icon at the top left of the sidebar. One thing to keep in mind is that if you want to save chats for easier reference in the future, you should always start a new chat for each query. If you keep asking questions in the same chat, it will be almost like a diary of that day’s chats.
Plus: How to use Opera’s built-in AI chatbot (and why you should)
Even with that tactic, I discovered a bit of frustration. All chats are supposed to be archived and will appear when you expand the sidebar. However, I discovered that you have to manually refresh that list by clicking the circle icon near the top right edge of the ChatGPT sidebar. Once you update that, you should see all your archived chats.
If you don’t see your archived chats, click the refresh icon and they will appear. Jack Wallen/ZDNET
If you want to share a chat, expand the ChatGPT sidebar (by clicking on the double horizontal line icon near the top right and click on the chat in question. This will open the chat. Expand the sidebar again and you will see A menu button appears for that chat. Click the menu button and then click Share. You can then copy the chat link and share it as needed.
It takes a few clicks, but eventually you’ll find the sharing menu. Jack Wallen/ZDNET
Although Opera ChatGPT can be a bit complicated at times, it is certainly better than many other options. Between Aria and ChatGPT, the choice comes down to this: if you use the Opera browser on all your devices, stick with Aria. If you change browsers, choose ChatGPT.
Because? Because if you always use Aria, you will have access to your chats from all instances of your browser (as long as they are logged into your Opera account). Otherwise, you can use ChatGPT and access them from the chat.openai.com ADDRESS.
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