Google’s worst nightmare? OpenAI’s new AI web browser is coming soon to challenge Chrome

OpenAI is preparing to roll out an artificial intelligence-powered web browser that could threaten Google Chrome’s dominance in the global browser market, Reuters reported citing three people familiar with the company’s plans.

The browser, expected to launch soon, is designed to transform how users interact with the internet by integrating AI capabilities at the core of the browsing experience.

AI at the center of browsing

According to two of the sources cited by the news outlet, OpenAI’s browser will feature a ChatGPT-like native chat interface, minimizing the need for users to click through to websites. Instead, users will engage in conversations and perform actions directly in the browser environment. This functionality would allow AI “agents” to carry out tasks such as filling out forms or booking reservations on behalf of users.

The sources, who declined to be named because they were not authorized to speak publicly. The new browser will be built atop Chromium, Google’s open-source browser foundation. Chromium also powers other major browsers such as Microsoft’s Edge and Opera.

A push into Google’s turf

If OpenAI’s browser gains traction among ChatGPT’s reported 500 million weekly active users, it could threaten a key part of Alphabet’s revenue model, the news outlet stated. Chrome is an essential pipeline for user data that fuels Google’s ad-targeting capabilities—ad revenue which accounts for nearly three-quarters of Alphabet’s income.

Full control over data

Unlike some competitors who have built AI tools as browser extensions or add-ons, OpenAI opted to create a standalone browser. One of the sources told Reuters this was a deliberate move to maintain full control over the user data the browser collects and how it integrates with OpenAI’s AI systems, such as its forthcoming assistant “Operator.”