Safari designer move sharpens AI browser race

Apple has lost a senior Safari designer to an AI-focused rival, adding momentum to a broader shift of top product talent towards startups building generative tools for the web. Marco Triverio, a lead designer on Safari, has joined The Browser Company, the New York–based firm behind Arc, to work on its AI-powered browser Dia, according to people familiar with the matter.

The hire comes as competition in the browser market intensifies around artificial intelligence features that promise to change how users search, read and act online. Dia, unveiled by The Browser Company as a new product distinct from Arc, is positioned as an “AI-native” browser designed to integrate large language models directly into everyday browsing rather than layering assistants on top of a traditional interface.

Triverio’s move underscores growing pressure on Apple to retain specialised design and engineering talent at a time when AI startups are offering greater autonomy, faster product cycles and the chance to shape new categories. Safari remains a core component of Apple’s ecosystem, underpinning web access across iPhone, iPad and Mac, and contributing to services revenue through its default search arrangements and deep integration with hardware.

People who have worked with Triverio describe him as a designer focused on clarity, performance and restraint, traits long associated with Safari’s evolution. At Apple, Safari’s design team has emphasised speed, privacy controls and energy efficiency, often resisting feature bloat in favour of tight system integration. That philosophy now faces a different test inside a startup whose strategy is to rethink the browser around conversational interfaces, summarisation and task automation.

The Browser Company has said Dia is built to let users ask questions about what they are reading, draft text in context and navigate complex information without switching between tabs or apps. Instead of treating AI as a plug-in, the browser is designed so that language models can observe and act across pages, subject to user permission. Executives at the company argue that this approach could redefine the browser as an active collaborator rather than a passive window to the web.

For Apple, the departure highlights a delicate balancing act. The company has been steadily adding AI capabilities across its platforms while maintaining a cautious public posture around privacy and on-device processing. Safari has incorporated features such as intelligent tracking prevention, reader mode enhancements and energy-saving technologies, but it has not moved as quickly as some rivals to embed generative AI into the browsing experience.

Industry analysts note that browser competition has shifted from standards compliance and rendering speed to differentiation through AI-driven workflows. Google has been testing generative search and AI summaries in Chrome, while Microsoft has pushed Copilot integration in Edge. Startups such as The Browser Company are betting that incumbents will struggle to move quickly without disrupting established revenue models or user expectations.

Triverio’s arrival is also symbolically significant for The Browser Company, which was founded by former Facebook and Instagram engineers and has already attracted designers and developers from major technology firms. The company built a devoted following with Arc, a browser that reimagined tabs, spaces and workflows, but it has acknowledged that Arc’s learning curve limited mass adoption. Dia is intended to address that by leaning on natural language interaction to lower friction.

Talent flows between large platforms and startups are common in Silicon Valley, but the current wave has a particular AI flavour. Designers and engineers with experience in system-level products are in demand as companies race to translate advances in large language models into usable consumer tools. For many, the appeal lies in the opportunity to define interaction patterns that could become industry norms.

Within Apple, Safari’s future direction remains closely watched. The browser is tightly bound to the company’s hardware strategy and to its stance on user data, which prioritises minimisation and transparency. Any significant redesign around AI will need to align with those principles while meeting user expectations shaped by more experimental competitors.