BrainyAI is a free and open-source browser sidebar extension designed to consolidate access to various large language models (LLMs) within a user's workflow. It targets users who frequently interact with AI tools, offering a unified interface for tasks like chat, search, summarization, and document interaction without leaving their current webpage, thereby serving as a cost-free alternative to commercial products.

How It Works

BrainyAI integrates with multiple AI providers, allowing users to interact with models such as GPT-4, GPT-4o, Gemini, and Claude through a convenient sidebar. The extension aggregates chat functionalities, enabling users to query multiple AI search engines or engage with LLMs across documents and web pages simultaneously. This approach centralizes AI interactions, eliminating the need to switch between tabs or services and providing a streamlined, efficient user experience.

Quick Start & Requirements

• Installation: Available via Chrome Web Store. For development: npm install pnpm -g, pnpm install, then pnpm dev.
• Prerequisites: Node.js, pnpm.
• Development: Requires loading unpacked extension from build/chrome-mv3-dev.
• Production Build: pnpm build.
• Documentation: plasmo Documentation

Highlighted Details

• Supports group chat and multiple AI search engine answers simultaneously.
• Offers free AI-powered summarization for web pages and YouTube content.
• Enables AI conversations across documents.
• Prioritizes user privacy with local storage for chat history, settings, and login data.

Maintenance & Community

• The project is actively maintained by luyu0279.
• Anonymous usage data is collected via GA4 for product optimization.

Licensing & Compatibility

• License: GPL-3.0.
• Compatibility: GPL-3.0 is a strong copyleft license, potentially requiring derivative works to also be open-sourced under the same license. Commercial use or linking with closed-source projects may require careful consideration of license obligations.

Limitations & Caveats

• Some LLMs, like Claude 3, are listed as "Soon" for support.
• The GPL-3.0 license may impose significant restrictions on commercial use or integration into proprietary software.