ChatGPT-maker OpenAI has just unveiled a brand-new AI-powered web browser called Atlas, stepping directly into competition with Google Chrome.
“This is an AI-powered web browser built around ChatGPT,” OpenAI chief Sam Altman said during a streamed presentation on Tuesday.
OpenAI’s latest move adds more fuel to its growing rivalry with Google, which has been racing to pack more artificial intelligence into its search tools and platforms.
Meet Atlas and Its “Agent” Mode
During the presentation, Altman and his team showed off a new feature called agent mode, which lets ChatGPT browse the internet on behalf of users.
Altman explained that in agent mode, ChatGPT can use the web browser on its own and come back with results.
“It’s got all your stuff and is clicking around,” Altman said.
“You can watch it or not, you don’t have to, but it’s using the internet for you.”
Atlas launches today for computers running Apple’s operating system, and it’s free to use. However, the agent mode will only be available to users who subscribe to the Plus or Pro versions of ChatGPT, according to Altman.
He added, “We want to bring this to Windows and to mobile devices as quickly as we can,” but didn’t share an exact release date.
“This is still early days for this project.”
Some of the tools shown during the demo looked similar to features already available in browsers like Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge.
Growing Pressure on Google
Tech giants, including Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, and Elon Musk’s xAI have been investing billions of dollars into artificial intelligence since the first version of ChatGPT launched in late 2022.
“OpenAI’s browser puts pressure on Google,” said Emarketer technology analyst Jacob Bourne in an interview with AFP.
“This is another step in the AI race as tech companies try to make their AI interfaces the first point of contact for internet users.”
According to Bourne, OpenAI has a real opportunity to attract users through ChatGPT’s huge popularity. However, he pointed out that Google still has a major advantage when it comes to infrastructure and serving billions of users.
He also raised an important question about how well Atlas will handle the kind of massive traffic that Google deals with every day.
A Shifting Search Landscape
The launch of Atlas comes right after a major U.S. court decision that allowed Google to avoid a breakup of its Chrome browser in an antitrust case. However, the judge did order Google to share data with other companies so they can build competing search tools, and ban exclusive deals that make Google the default search engine on devices and services.
Judge Amit Mehta, who previously ruled that Google illegally maintained its online search monopoly, noted that the digital landscape has evolved dramatically since the U.S. Justice Department and several states first filed their case in 2020.
Challenges and Competition
OpenAI isn’t the only one taking on Google. Companies like Perplexity and Microsoft have also stepped up their efforts to challenge Google’s dominance in online search, a market that brings in most of its revenue through advertising.
Recently, OpenAI introduced a new ChatGPT feature that lets users interact directly with apps like Spotify and Booking.com. This means ChatGPT can now help with tasks like choosing music, searching for real estate, or exploring hotels and flights.
Meanwhile, Perplexity AI made headlines in August by announcing a new revenue-sharing model with publishers. Media outlets will be paid when their content is used by Perplexity’s Comet browser or AI assistant to answer user queries.
The San Francisco-based startup has quickly become one of Silicon Valley’s hottest companies and is often seen as a potential disruptor in the search market.
After OpenAI’s announcement of Atlas, Google shares dipped slightly by just over one percent in trading.
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