OpenAI has entered the internet browser market with the launch of ChatGPT Atlas, marking what the company calls a significant step toward reshaping how people search and interact online.

Announced on Tuesday, Atlas is the firm’s first AI‑driven browser and represents OpenAI’s boldest attempt yet to challenge Google’s long‑standing dominance in web discovery. The browser will debut on macOS, followed by releases for Windows, iOS, and Android. Unusually, OpenAI confirmed that Atlas will be free to use at launch.

The move places OpenAI directly in a fast‑emerging contest within the tech world, where established players and new entrants alike are racing to blend artificial intelligence seamlessly into web navigation. Google Chrome remains the market leader, but rivals such as Perplexity’s Comet and The Browser Company’s Dia have sought to re‑imagine browsing around conversational AI. Both Google and Microsoft have also been upgrading their respective browsers, Chrome and Edge, with smarter, assistant‑style features.

Ben Goodger, OpenAI’s Engineering Lead for Atlas, said during a company livestream that ChatGPT sits at the centre of the new browser experience. Within Atlas, users can “chat” directly with their search results, using natural language prompts to refine or explore information — a model reminiscent of Perplexity’s interface and Google’s recent “AI Mode.”

One of the defining touches of AI browsers this year has been the addition of a context‑aware sidebar assistant that sits beside the main page. This feature allows users to ask questions or execute actions related to what’s currently open on their screen, eliminating the need for manual copying and switching between tabs. OpenAI confirmed that Atlas will include this “sidecar” experience as well as a browser history component, enabling ChatGPT to remember pages visited and tailor responses accordingly.

Atlas also introduces an “agent mode”, which lets ChatGPT carry out small web tasks automatically — from filling forms to summarising articles — on behalf of the user. The tool will initially be available only to Plus, Pro, and Business plan subscribers. Early AI browsing agents, including those tested in competing products, have shown promise for quick actions but remain inconsistent for more complex online automation.

Speaking at OpenAI’s recent DevDay conference, Head of ChatGPT Nick Turley described Atlas as part of a broader vision to turn conversational AI into “a new kind of operating system” for the web. He argued that browsers have historically defined how people work online, and ChatGPT, he suggested, could become the next leap forward in that evolution.

Whether Atlas can genuinely challenge Chrome’s three‑billion‑strong global user base remains uncertain. But as artificial intelligence becomes the defining layer of digital productivity, OpenAI’s decision to bring ChatGPT into the browser wars marks a pivotal moment in the company’s own story — and in the web’s next major reinvention.

source: visit openai