OpenAI is preparing to launch an AI-driven web browser in the coming weeks, a move insiders say could challenge the dominance of Google Chrome and shake up the online search and advertising landscape.
The browser, designed to fundamentally change how users browse the internet, may offer OpenAI more direct access to user data, an essential element of Google’s success. With ChatGPT boasting 500 million weekly active users, the new browser could significantly undercut Alphabet’s ad revenue model, which relies heavily on Chrome’s data for targeted advertising.
Sources familiar with the project revealed that the browser will integrate a ChatGPT-like interface to keep users within the platform, reducing the need to click through to external websites. The innovation is part of OpenAI’s broader ambition to embed its AI services into daily digital activities, both personal and professional.
The browser will reportedly allow AI agents, such as Operator, to perform tasks for users, including booking reservations or filling out forms directly on websites. Though OpenAI declined to comment, its aggressive push into this space signals a bold strategy to expand its influence beyond chat applications.
Despite the excitement, OpenAI faces stiff competition in the saturated browser market. Google Chrome commands over two-thirds of the global market with more than 3 billion users, while Apple’s Safari trails behind with just 16% share. Other players such as Perplexity, The Browser Company, and Brave have also entered the race with AI-powered browsers.
Chrome’s importance to Google’s ad business has attracted regulatory scrutiny, with the U.S. Department of Justice pushing for its divestment over monopoly concerns. OpenAI, which considered purchasing Chrome, instead opted to build its browser from scratch atop Google’s open-source Chromium code.
OpenAI’s development team includes former Google executives who helped build Chrome, suggesting a serious commitment to quality and functionality. By building a standalone browser, rather than a plugin, OpenAI gains greater control over user data and functionality.
The launch follows the company’s recent $6.5 billion acquisition of io, an AI device startup founded by Apple’s former design chief Jony Ive. As the AI arms race intensifies, OpenAI’s browser may emerge as a powerful new gateway for users—and a direct challenge to Google’s search and advertising empire.