OpenAI’s Atlas Browser Takes Direct Aim at Google Chrome
OpenAI announced on On Tuesday, it’s rolling out a new internet browser called Atlas that integrates directly with ChatGPT. Atlas includes features such as a sidebar window that users can use to ask ChatGPT questions about web pages they visit. There is also an AI agent that can click through and perform tasks on a user’s behalf.
“We believe AI represents a rare, once-in-a-decade opportunity to rethink what a browser can be,” OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said during a livestream announcing Atlas. “Tabs were great, but we haven’t seen a lot of innovation in browsers since then.”
Atlas debuts as Silicon Valley strives to use generative AI to reshape the way people experience the Internet. Google also announced a host of AI features for its popular Chrome browser, including a “spark” button that launches its Gemini chatbot. Chrome remains the most used browser in the world.
OpenAI says the Atlas Browser will be available starting today to ChatGPT users worldwide on macOS. Windows and mobile options are currently in the works. Atlas is free, although its agent features are reserved for subscribers to OpenAI’s ChatGPT Plus or ChatGPT Pro plans.
“We’ve made major improvements to search on ChatGPT when accessed through Atlas,” Ryan O’Rouke, OpenAI’s lead designer for the browser, said during the live stream. If a user asks for movie reviews in the Atlas search bar, a chatbot-style response will appear first, rather than the more traditional collection of blue links users might expect when searching the web via Google.
