According to sources, OpenAI is set to launch an AI-powered web browser that will challenge Alphabet’s Google Chrome for market dominance.
Reported by Reuters, three insiders revealed that the browser expected to be released by OpenAI will debut in the coming weeks. This browser aims to fundamentally change the way consumers browse the web using AI technology. It will allow OpenAI to access user data more directly, a cornerstone of Google’s success.
If ChatGPT’s 500 million weekly active users adopt OpenAI’s browser, it will undoubtedly impact Google’s crucial advertising revenue.
Google Chrome is a key pillar of Alphabet’s advertising business, accounting for nearly three-quarters of its revenue. Chrome’s ability to provide user information enables Alphabet to effectively target advertisements, generating more profits and facilitating Google’s directing of search traffic to its own engine by default.
Two sources indicated that OpenAI’s browser is designed to retain some user interactions within a native chat interface similar to ChatGPT, rather than clicking into websites.
One of the sources revealed that the browser is part of a broader strategy by OpenAI aimed at integrating its services into consumers’ personal and work lives.
The sources have not been authorized to publicly discuss this matter and therefore remain anonymous.
At the end of 2022, OpenAI introduced the AI chatbot ChatGPT, bringing about disruptive technological innovations. Facing fierce competition from rivals like Google and startups such as Anthropic, OpenAI is seeking new avenues for growth.
In May of this year, OpenAI announced its foray into the hardware sector with a $6.5 billion acquisition of the AI device startup io founded by Jony Ive, former design chief of Apple.
Sources also revealed that the upcoming web browser will allow OpenAI to directly integrate its AI agent products, such as Operator, into the browsing experience, enabling the browser to perform tasks on behalf of users.