OpenAI unveiled a new AI-powered web browser, ChatGPT Atlas, the biggest one yet in its quest to topple Google Chrome’s dominance. The group announced the product during a livestream on Tuesday, describing it as a browser built around ChatGPT itself.
ChatGPT Atlas goes live worldwide on macOS today, with Windows, iOS, and Android to emerge subsequently. According to OpenAI, all users have access to the browser on opening, though a reserved “agent mode” is initially exclusive to Plus, Pro, and Business subscribers.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman revealed that the company is trying to change how humans interact with the internet. As he explains, “the chat experience in a web browser can be a great analog” for people in the future when using the internet. The new browser combines normal web browsing with conversational AI so users can surf and interact with content naturally.
Altman was joined by several OpenAI employees, such as product lead Adam Fry and engineering lead Ben Goodger, a former Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox developer. They explained how Atlas integrates ChatGPT naturally into the browsing experience.
Making the ChatGPT Atlas browser act like a personal assistant
ChatGPT Atlas is not just another means of surfing. It is designed to act like an assistant with contextual understanding that acts when called upon to do so.
Memory is one of its core features, allowing the browser to save user preferences, activities recently carried out, and pages visited with regular frequency. This also makes ChatGPT Atlas more efficient and tailored in the long term. The users are also able to view and arrange these “memories” in the settings or switch to incognito mode for private use.
The browser’s agent mode is another major addition. With this mode, ChatGPT can perform simple tasks directly within the browser. Users can ask it to book a flight, make a restaurant reservation, or edit a document. It’s the next step in OpenAI’s plan to make ChatGPT more proactive, not just answering questions but completing tasks.
This idea builds on earlier experiments such as OpenAI’s “Operator” and “ChatGPT Agent” tools, which aimed to allow the chatbot to perform actions on a computer. The difference now is that ChatGPT Atlas integrates those capabilities within a full browser, making it more accessible and useful for everyday users.
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If a user clicks on a link from a search result, Atlas serves up a split-screen. On one side, the webpage renders as usual; on the other side, ChatGPT renders with a live transcription of a conversation. This gives users an assistant who can summarise, describe, or analyse in real time, yet still allows for total control of what appears on screen.
In a demonstration, OpenAI showed how users could choose a sentence in an email and have ChatGPT rephrase it for clarity on the spot. The feature, called “cursor chat,” allows for small edits without needing to switch tabs or manually copy text into the chatbot.
Altman described ChatGPT Atlas as “a great browser all-around,” admiring its handsome design and fast performance. But beneath the surface, the deeper mission seems to be reimagining what a browser can do, from simply showing pages to actually understanding them.
A new chapter in the Chrome wars
The launch of ChatGPT Atlas injects fresh excitement into what many are calling the “AI browser wars.”
Last year, browsers were the new frontier for artificial intelligence companies. OpenAI had already signalled the way in 2024 with SearchGPT, an AI-based search engine proof-of-concept. But Atlas is taking the company directly into Chrome territory, offering a browsing feature rather than just a search function.
However, OpenAI has some competition in this race. AI firm Perplexity recently launched its own AI browser called Comet to simplify how users are able to search and accomplish tasks on the internet. Instead of browsing through pages of search results, Comet provides concise answers and key links. It is even able to scan open tabs, summarise videos, and even buy things on shopping sites.
Similarly, Google is integrating its Gemini AI assistant more deeply into Chrome. Google promised to enable Gemini to handle routine tasks such as purchasing groceries and scheduling appointments. However, Google did not issue a release timeline, and most of these are still under development.
Microsoft has already incorporated AI in its Edge browser with Copilot, but the experience has been mixed. The users love the ease of use, but there have been issues with privacy and accuracy.
In this increasing competition, the edge for OpenAI is familiarity and the muscle of ChatGPT, which already has tens of millions of monthly active users across the globe. By placing ChatGPT at the heart of its browser, OpenAI aims to provide people with something they already know and trust, but now with quicker access and less hassle.
What distinguishes ChatGPT Atlas is not just its look, but also its capacity to transform the way humans work and access information.
Still, OpenAI’s success depends on how users respond. Google Chrome currently dominates the browser market with over 3 billion users worldwide. Breaking into that space will be difficult, especially when Chrome remains tightly integrated with Google’s search and advertising systems.
