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OpenAI is preparing to release its own AI-powered web browser, aimed at redefining user interaction online and potentially disrupting the dominance of Google Chrome.
According to sources familiar with the matter, OpenAI’s browser is expected to debut in the coming weeks, offering a unique, AI-integrated experience that keeps some user actions within a ChatGPT-like native chat interface rather than redirecting users to websites.
This new approach not only changes how users access information but also allows OpenAI to better integrate its AI agents, like Operator, to carry out tasks such as booking reservations or completing forms directly on webpages.
Challenging Google’s Core Business
Google Chrome is more than just a browser; it’s a critical data pipeline for Google’s multi-billion-dollar advertising empire. By keeping user interactions in-house, OpenAI’s browser could limit the flow of data back to Google, impacting ad targeting. Given Chrome’s role in helping Alphabet capture nearly three-quarters of its revenue from advertising, OpenAI’s browser could pressure one of Google’s most vital assets.
If adopted by even a portion of the 500 million weekly ChatGPT users, the new browser could have a major impact on market dynamics.
Interestingly, OpenAI’s browser is built on Chromium, the same open-source codebase behind Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Opera. Last year, OpenAI also hired two longtime Google vice presidents who were instrumental in building the original Chrome. This strategic hire signals OpenAI’s seriousness in developing a competitive and independent platform.
The decision to build a standalone browser, rather than simply a “plug-in” for an existing one, gives OpenAI more control over user data, a valuable asset in developing smarter AI systems.
Market Competition and Legal Context
OpenAI isn’t entering a quiet space. Competitors like Perplexity, which recently launched the Comet AI browser, as well as The Browser Company and Brave, are already offering AI-enhanced browsing tools capable of summarizing and interacting with web content.
Google Chrome remains the undisputed leader, with over 3 billion users and more than two-thirds of the global browser market, per StatCounter. But legal challenges could shift the landscape. A U.S. judge ruled Alphabet holds an unlawful monopoly in online search, prompting the Department of Justice to seek Chrome’s divestiture. While Google plans to appeal, OpenAI executives have expressed interest in buying Chrome should it ever become available.
The browser aligns with OpenAI’s broader strategy to embed AI tools across personal and professional life, providing users not just with access to information but with intelligent systems that act on their behalf. From summarizing content to completing tasks, this new browser aims to be a hub for AI-driven web activity.
As OpenAI, led by Sam Altman, continues to explore growth avenues beyond ChatGPT, this browser represents a major step in blending web utility with advanced AI, placing the company in direct competition with tech giants and reshaping the internet experience in the process.
