Chrome 146 Now in Beta with WebNN Origin Trial for Neural Networks in Browser (www.phoronix.com)

Chrome 146 has entered beta with a significant enhancement: the WebNN origin trial, which introduces a Neural Network API designed to utilize the inference hardware acceleration of client systems. This API allows web applications and frameworks to harness the underlying neural processing units (NPUs) and other machine learning capabilities of users' devices, potentially transforming the web into a more efficient environment for machine learning applications. While this development promises a richer experience in AI/ML on the web, it raises concerns about privacy and the extent to which websites can access and leverage client hardware. In addition to the WebNN trial, Chrome 146 Beta includes the Sanitizer API that helps developers protect against security vulnerabilities associated with user-supplied HTML content, making it easier to create cross-site scripting (XSS)-free web applications. The update also features improvements to WebGPU, scroll-triggered animations, and various other developer tools, all of which underscore Google's commitment to enhancing web performance and security as more applications lean into machine learning technologies. For more technical details, resources can be found on the Chrome Releases Blog and the ChromeStatus.com site.