OpenAI is preparing to disrupt the web browsing market with the upcoming launch of an AI-powered web browser, directly challenging Google Chrome’s dominance, sources have told Reuters.
Expected to roll out in the coming weeks, the new browser will harness artificial intelligence to transform how users interact with the internet, offering features such as a native ChatGPT-style interface and built-in AI agents capable of handling tasks like filling out forms and making reservations.
The move gives OpenAI direct access to valuable user data—a key pillar of Alphabet’s success and ad revenue strategy. With ChatGPT’s 400 million weekly active users, even partial adoption could threaten Google’s advertising stronghold, which relies heavily on data gathered through Chrome.
Unlike plugin-based solutions, OpenAI’s browser—built on Chromium, the same foundation as Chrome—will be a standalone product, allowing for tighter integration of OpenAI’s tools, such as Operator, and greater control over data. This development comes as antitrust pressure mounts on Google, whose control over online search and advertising has been deemed monopolistic by a US judge.
Facing stiff competition from emerging AI browsers like Perplexity’s Comet and Brave’s AI tools, OpenAI’s entry signals a major shift in the browser wars.
Image: Google Chrome’s dominance is set to be tested like never before. Credit: Simon
