OpenAI is preparing to launch its own artificial intelligence-powered web browser in the coming weeks, in a direct challenge to Google Chrome’s dominance in the global browser market, according to sources familiar with the development.
The move signals OpenAI’s broader ambition to expand its footprint beyond chatbots and into the infrastructure of how people interact with the internet. The browser, which is reportedly built atop Google’s open-source Chromium platform, is designed to incorporate ChatGPT-like functionality into a native interface—offering users a fundamentally different browsing experience powered by AI.
According to three individuals briefed on the project, the browser is expected to offer features that allow users to interact with the internet via a chat-based interface, reducing the need to navigate traditional websites. The product will also serve as a platform for OpenAI’s growing portfolio of AI “agents,” capable of performing tasks such as booking appointments or filling out forms on behalf of users.
If widely adopted, particularly among ChatGPT’s 500 million weekly active users, the browser could disrupt Google’s lucrative advertising model. Chrome currently plays a critical role in Alphabet’s ad business, which accounts for nearly three-quarters of the company’s overall revenue. By capturing user data and routing search traffic to Google’s engine, Chrome has helped Alphabet maintain its stronghold on digital advertising.
Strategic expansion
The browser project forms part of a wider strategy by OpenAI to integrate its AI technologies into the everyday digital habits of consumers and businesses. Earlier this year, the company announced its foray into hardware, acquiring the AI device startup “io” for $6.5 billion—a venture led by Apple’s former design chief, Jony Ive.
Industry observers say that controlling a browser will allow OpenAI to collect richer user data and better integrate its AI models, including its Operator tool and other autonomous agents.
