OpenAI is preparing to launch a smart web browser that could upset the balance of the market dominated for more than a decade by Google Chrome (Alphabet), three sources close to the matter have revealed to Reuters. Expected in the coming weeks, this AI-powered browser will feature a ChatGPT-style interface, as well as AI agents capable of interacting directly with websites to perform tasks on behalf of the user.
With 500 million weekly users of ChatGPT, OpenAI aims to make the browser a new gateway to the web experience and, above all, a strategic lever for collecting behavioral data, an area that has been largely monopolized by Google until now. Chrome plays a central role in Alphabet's advertising ecosystem, providing the parent company with crucial data for targeted advertising. This model, which accounts for nearly three-quarters of its revenue, is now under scrutiny by the US Department of Justice, which accuses Google of illegal monopoly on online search.
OpenAI's browser, built on Chromium, the open-source code developed by Google, will offer a redesigned browsing experience. Some user interactions will no longer go through traditional websites but will be handled directly in a chatbot-style interface, two of the sources said.
The tool will also allow the integration of agents such as Operator, capable of performing automated actions (bookings, form filling, etc.) in real time within web pages. OpenAI thus intends to extend its strategy of expansion into the personal and professional lives of its users.
A difficult market to break into
It's an ambitious bet. Chrome holds more than two-thirds of the global browser market, according to StatCounter, well ahead of Apple's Safari (16%). OpenAI, which claims 3 million professional subscribers to ChatGPT, will have to convince well-established giants.
Competition in this sector is intensifying rapidly. This week, startup Perplexity launched Comet, an AI browser capable of acting on behalf of the user. Other players, such as The Browser Company and Brave, have already introduced smart browsing and online content synthesis features. A few weeks ago, we also learned that Apple would be testing a new version of Safari with a search system powered by ChatGPT.
OpenAI, led by Sam Altman, had already laid the groundwork with the acquisition of AI device startup io for $6.5bn in May. The company has also recruited two former Google vice presidents who originally worked on Chrome.
The idea of buying Chrome outright was even considered, an OpenAI executive acknowledged during a hearing in April. But Google has categorically refused to sell its browser and plans to appeal the court ruling that recognizes it as a monopoly.
According to one of the sources, OpenAI preferred to build its own browser rather than enhance a third-party browser with a simple plugin, in order to retain complete control over the data generated. The company has not commented on the Reuters report.
With this new product, OpenAI has three objectives: to shake up Google in one of its traditional strongholds, to establish a lasting foothold in everyday digital use, and, above all, to capture the valuable windfall of browsing data.
