OpenAI to launch AI web browser to compete with Google Chrome
OpenAI is preparing to launch its own web browser powered by artificial intelligence, in a move that could challenge Google Chrome’s dominance in the global browser market, according to a report by CNBC
Set to roll out in the coming weeks, the browser is expected to incorporate a native ChatGPT-style interface, allowing users to interact directly with AI without navigating through traditional web pages. The product forms part of OpenAI’s broader push to embed its AI tools across users’ daily online activity.
The browser is built on Chromium, Google’s open-source codebase that also underpins Chrome, Microsoft Edge and Opera, two of the sources confirmed. OpenAI declined to comment on the browser’s development.
The move could have implications for Google’s advertising business. Chrome, used by over 3 billion people worldwide, plays a central role in Alphabet’s ad infrastructure by supplying user data and directing search traffic through its default search engine settings. Chrome holds over two-thirds of the global browser market, according to analytics firm StatCounter.
By offering an AI-powered alternative, OpenAI could potentially shift browsing behaviour away from Google services, especially if adopted widely by ChatGPT’s 400 million weekly active users. Last month, the company reported having 3 million paying business users on ChatGPT.
The browser is expected to support AI agents capable of performing tasks on behalf of users, such as making bookings or completing forms. This would build on OpenAI’s efforts to integrate products like Operator more seamlessly into user workflows.
OpenAI has previously expanded into hardware, acquiring AI device company io for $6.5 billion in May. The startup also brought on board two former Google executives who had played a key role in the development of Chrome.
While AI-powered browsers are emerging from several other companies, such as Brave, The Browser Company, and Perplexity, which launched its Comet browser this week, OpenAI’s scale and existing user base may give it a distinct advantage.
The launch comes amid regulatory scrutiny of Google’s browser dominance. A U.S. judge ruled last year that Alphabet holds an unlawful monopoly in online search. In April, an OpenAI executive said the company would be interested in acquiring Chrome if it were ever subject to antitrust divestiture. Google has said it plans to appeal the ruling.
OpenAI’s decision to build a standalone browser, rather than rely on plug-ins within other platforms, reflects a desire for greater control over data and the overall user experience, one source said.
The company has not provided an official release date or further technical specifications for the new browser.
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