New browser integrates ChatGPT as the main interface for online activity
Aims to redefine how users navigate the web through conversational search
Currently available only for MacOS, with Windows and mobile versions to follow
OpenAI on Tuesday unveiled a new web browser called Atlas, a free tool built around the company’s artificial intelligence technologies — including its popular chatbot, ChatGPT. The move puts OpenAI in direct competition with industry heavyweights like Google, Apple, and Microsoft, whose browsers have long dominated the internet.
“This is an A.I.-powered web browser built around ChatGPT,” said Sam Altman, OpenAI’s chief executive, during a livestream announcing the launch. “We think that A.I. represents a rare, once-a-decade opportunity to rethink what a browser can be about.”
If OpenAI can lure users to Atlas, it could steer them toward its own online services — and collect valuable data to further train and refine its A.I. systems.
ChatGPT as the internet gateway
In Atlas, the familiar browser address bar is gone. Instead, users type web addresses or questions directly into a ChatGPT chat window. Each new browser tab opens to ChatGPT itself, making conversation — rather than search — the default way to explore the internet.
Altman said the company envisions a future where chatting with an A.I. replaces typing queries into a search box. “The way that we hope people will use the internet in the future — and that we’re starting to see — is the chat experience,” he said.
By removing the traditional address bar, OpenAI effectively sidelines rival search engines like Google and Bing while keeping all user interactions within its own ecosystem.
Privacy advocates aren't too keen on the concept. They note that behind the scenes, Atlas is working to learn much more about you. If you grant permission during setup, the browser builds a trove of memories about sites you visit and coughs them up “when you need” them. You could ask about a vacation spot you looked at last week and it could retrieve it quickly. That will probably be convenient but it raises the question of how much you really want ChatGPT to know about you and who you think will have access to the data.
Competition and capabilities
Atlas follows a similar move by Perplexity, another A.I. start-up that recently launched its own browser, Comet, to integrate conversational A.I. directly into web navigation. Both companies are betting that intelligent chat-driven interfaces can challenge the dominance of existing search engines and browsers.
Currently, Atlas is available only for computers running Apple’s MacOS. OpenAI said versions for Microsoft Windows and mobile platforms — including Android and iOS — are in development.
The company also introduced an experimental “agent mode”, which can perform tasks like filling out online forms, using web apps, or even managing shopping lists. For now, that feature is limited to paying ChatGPT Plus and Pro subscribers.
A familiar playbook, but with A.I.
Tech analysts note that OpenAI’s strategy echoes Google’s introduction of Chrome more than a decade ago — a move that integrated its browser tightly with its search engine and helped cement Google’s dominance.
With Atlas, OpenAI appears to be taking a similar approach for the A.I. era, positioning ChatGPT as both the browser and the search engine — and potentially redefining how people experience the web.