OpenAI launches Atlas browser, moves into direct competition with Google

OpenAI on Tuesday announced the launch of its own web browser, Atlas, marking its entry into direct competition with Google as artificial intelligence increasingly shapes how users search for information online.

The new browser could allow OpenAI, the world’s most valuable startup, to capture more internet traffic and tap into the digital advertising revenue that comes with it. While ChatGPT already has over 800 million users, many access it for free, leaving OpenAI in a position where it continues to spend more than it earns.

OpenAI’s move follows recent discussions by company executives about the potential acquisition of Google’s Chrome browser, which had a federal judge mandate its sale amid antitrust concerns. Last month, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta rejected the forced sale, citing rapid developments in AI as reshaping the competitive landscape.

Launching Atlas, OpenAI now faces the formidable challenge of rivaling Chrome, which boasts around 3 billion users globally and has begun integrating AI features via Google’s Gemini technology. Chrome’s success offers a potential roadmap for OpenAI; when Chrome was first released in 2008, Microsoft’s Internet Explorer dominated the market, yet Chrome quickly gained traction by offering faster page loading and user-friendly features, eventually overtaking Internet Explorer and prompting Microsoft to introduce Edge.

Other AI-driven browser ventures have emerged recently. Perplexity, a smaller AI startup, released its Comet browser earlier this year and had also expressed interest in buying Chrome, even submitting an unsolicited $34.5 billion offer. That effort ended when the court declined to mandate Google’s breakup.