Web Browser
OpenAI is nearing the launch of its own AI-powered web browser, a strategic move poised to directly challenge Google Chrome’s dominance in the global browser market. According to three individuals familiar with the matter who spoke to Reuters, the browser is expected to be released in the coming weeks and is designed to revolutionize the way people interact with the web through artificial intelligence.
The forthcoming browser, insiders say, will allow users to navigate the internet through a ChatGPT-like interface, minimizing the need to click through traditional websites. This approach could drastically reshape user behavior by embedding AI agents into the browsing experience—agents capable of performing tasks such as filling out forms, booking appointments, and summarizing content.
If widely adopted by ChatGPT’s 500 million weekly active users, the browser could significantly dent one of Google’s primary sources of revenue: its ability to collect user data through Chrome to power targeted advertising.
Chrome is a cornerstone of Alphabet’s digital empire, currently commanding over two-thirds of the global browser market with more than 3 billion users. The browser feeds Google’s advertising machinery by channeling search traffic to its own engine and collecting vast amounts of user behavior data. That control over digital pathways is now being challenged.
Sources say OpenAI’s browser is built on Chromium, Google’s own open-source browser platform that also underpins other major browsers like Microsoft Edge and Opera.
However, OpenAI’s version will offer far deeper AI integration, serving as a foundation for deploying advanced AI assistants like Operator, capable of autonomously navigating and interacting with web content on behalf of users.
This browser project forms part of OpenAI’s broader ambition to embed its services across users’ personal and professional lives. One source indicated that OpenAI chose to build a standalone browser rather than a plugin or extension on another platform in order to gain full control over the browsing experience and the valuable data that comes with it.
The initiative also comes amid rising scrutiny of Google’s market power. The U.S. Department of Justice recently accused Alphabet of holding an illegal monopoly in the online search market, prompting calls for the divestiture of Chrome. While Google has denied wrongdoing and intends to appeal the ruling, the pressure adds a layer of complexity to the competitive landscape.
Adding to its strategic depth, OpenAI recently acquired AI hardware startup io for $6.5 billion—a company founded by Apple’s former design chief, Jony Ive—signaling its intent to expand into physical devices.
In recent years, OpenAI has also strengthened its team with the recruitment of former senior Google engineers, including two vice presidents who were instrumental in developing Chrome.
OpenAI is not alone in this new wave of AI-powered browsing. Competitors like Perplexity, Brave, and The Browser Company have also launched AI-enhanced browsers with varying levels of automation and web interaction capabilities.
Perplexity’s new browser, Comet, debuted just this week, boasting features that allow it to take action on users’ behalf.
Despite the fierce competition and Chrome’s vast user base, OpenAI’s entry into the browser market signals a significant shift in how tech companies envision the future of online interaction—one where intelligent agents may one day replace traditional web navigation.
