Google Chrome has long dominated the web browser space, despite many Apple users opting to stick with Safari. But a major new player is reportedly about to launch its own web browser: OpenAI, the makers of ChatGPT.
ChatGPT makers are getting into the browser business
Kenrick Cai, Krystal Hu and Anna Tong write at Reuters:
OpenAI is close to releasing an AI-powered web browser that will challenge Alphabet’s market-dominating Google Chrome, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters. The browser is slated to launch in the coming weeks, three of the people said, and aims to use artificial intelligence to fundamentally change how consumers browse the web. It will give OpenAI more direct access to a cornerstone of Google’s success: user data. […] OpenAI’s browser is designed to keep some user interactions within a ChatGPT-like native chat interface instead of clicking through to websites, two of the sources said.
The report offers minimal details on exactly how the browser will work.
However, one interesting tidbit involves AI agents:
A web browser would allow OpenAI to directly integrate its AI agent products such as Operator into the browsing experience, enabling the browser to carry out tasks on behalf of the user, the people said.
Most likely, the basic features of the browser would largely mimic what’s offered by existing options like Chrome and Safari.
But by building AI directly into the core of the browser, OpenAI can also offer unique functionality that might not be possible via a third-party browser extension.
Whatever the details turn out to be, it sounds like we shouldn’t have to wait long for the new browser to launch. The report makes it sound like a release could happen before the end of July.
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