OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, has launched a new artificial intelligence-powered browser designed to directly compete with Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge.
The new browser, called ChatGPT Atlas, removes the traditional address bar and instead integrates AI technology at its core. According to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Atlas is “built around ChatGPT” and reimagines how users interact with the web.
The browser was made available on Tuesday for Apple’s MacOS users as part of OpenAI’s broader effort to expand its product ecosystem and generate new revenue streams.
Altman said the goal of Atlas is to simplify how people find information by using conversational AI rather than traditional keyword searches.
OpenAI has positioned Atlas as a transformative browsing experience that blends internet search, chat assistance, and real-time automation.
One of its most distinctive features is a paid “agent mode,” which allows the AI to autonomously browse and gather information for the user.
Agent mode will be available only to ChatGPT Plus subscribers and is designed to enhance productivity by allowing the chatbot to operate using live browsing context.
OpenAI described the feature as a tool that “improves efficiency and usefulness by understanding your browsing environment and acting intelligently on your behalf.”
The company has also rolled out new partnerships with major e-commerce and travel platforms, including Etsy, Shopify, Expedia, and Booking.com, to integrate shopping and booking directly into the browsing experience.
The release of Atlas comes as OpenAI looks to capitalize on its rapid user growth. During the company’s DevDay event earlier this month, Altman revealed that ChatGPT had surpassed 800 million weekly active users, doubling its February figures.
Industry experts say OpenAI’s entry into the browser market could signal a new wave of AI-driven competition against established tech giants.
Pat Moorhead, CEO and chief analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy, said early adopters are likely to experiment with Atlas but questioned whether it can dethrone Chrome or Edge.
“I believe that early adopters will kick the tyres on the new OpenAI browser,” Moorhead told The Daily National News. “But mainstream users and corporations may stick with existing browsers until those integrate similar capabilities.”
Microsoft Edge already offers many AI tools powered by OpenAI’s technology, including Copilot, giving it a head start in the AI browsing space.
OpenAI’s move comes as Google faces increasing regulatory scrutiny. Last year, the company was declared an illegal monopolist in online search by a US court.
Although the US Justice Department sought to have Google divest its Chrome browser, the court stopped short of enforcing such a breakup.
Still, the ruling intensified pressure on Google to adapt, and the company has since doubled down on its own AI search integrations.
According to research firm Datos, 5.99% of all desktop searches in July were conducted using large language models such as ChatGPT, more than double the share from the previous year.
Analysts say this rapid shift signals growing public interest in AI-generated answers rather than traditional web links.
OpenAI’s Atlas is expected to capitalize on that trend by making the search process conversational and contextual rather than mechanical.
Altman has emphasized that Atlas is not just another browser but a “gateway to an intelligent internet.”
He said the company’s focus is on making AI more useful in daily life while creating a sustainable business model beyond enterprise licensing and subscriptions.
OpenAI’s browser could also pressure Google and Microsoft to accelerate their own AI innovation cycles.
For now, the success of Atlas may depend on how well it integrates with existing user habits and whether people are ready to abandon the address bar altogether.
As the browser enters its first public rollout phase, OpenAI is inviting user feedback before expanding availability to Windows and mobile platforms in the coming months.
