OpenAI on Tuesday introduced “Atlas”, a new AI-driven web browser designed around ChatGPT, positioning it as a direct competitor to Google Chrome.
“This is an AI-powered web browser built around ChatGPT,” said OpenAI CEO Sam Altman during a livestreamed demonstration.
As part of its ongoing rivalry with Google, OpenAI showcased “agent mode”, a feature allowing ChatGPT to autonomously browse the web on behalf of users. Altman explained that the chatbot can navigate, click, and fetch information independently: “It’s got all your stuff and is clicking around… You can watch it or not, but it’s using the internet for you.”
Atlas launches Tuesday on macOS, but agent mode will be limited to ChatGPT Plus and Pro subscribers. Altman said the company is working to bring the browser to Windows and mobile devices, though no release timeline was given. “This is still early days for this project,” he added.
While some of Atlas’s features resemble existing functions in Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge, its integration with ChatGPT marks a new approach to web navigation and search.
The release comes as tech giants like Google, Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, and Elon Musk’s xAI race to dominate the AI space, investing billions in cutting-edge development since ChatGPT’s explosive debut in late 2022.
Atlas’s launch also follows a major antitrust ruling in the U.S., where Google avoided a breakup of its Chrome browser but faces restrictions aimed at curbing monopolistic practices. Judge Amit Mehta ordered Google to end exclusive deals and share data to allow fair competition in search — a move that could create opportunities for emerging AI-powered platforms like Atlas.
AFP
