OpenAI is preparing to take on one of the tech industry’s most entrenched monopolies—Google’s Chrome browser—with the imminent launch of its own AI-powered browser, three people familiar with the development told Reuters.
The browser, which could debut within weeks, is part of a broader move by OpenAI to expand its footprint far beyond conversational chatbots and into core consumer technology used daily by billions.
If successful, the launch could disrupt a critical pillar of Google’s dominance—user data acquisition—and threaten its lucrative advertising empire, which relies heavily on data harvested from Chrome’s more than 3 billion users worldwide.
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OpenAI, which shook the tech world with the release of ChatGPT in 2022, is now pushing into more integrated digital experiences. According to the sources, its upcoming browser is built atop Chromium, the same open-source architecture used by Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge, but is being custom-tailored to embed AI functionality into everyday browsing tasks. That includes an AI agent capable of carrying out actions on users’ behalf—such as filling out forms, booking reservations, or navigating content—directly on the websites themselves.
In effect, OpenAI is positioning the browser as more than just a traditional web tool. Instead of leading users from one link to another, it aims to keep interactions within a native AI chat interface, similar to ChatGPT, offering a fundamentally different approach to how people engage with the internet.
A Data War Brewing
By launching its own browser, OpenAI stands to tap directly into user behavior, the same stream of behavioral data that has helped Google build an advertising empire. Nearly three-quarters of Alphabet’s revenue comes from ads, much of it fueled by insights gathered through Chrome, which remains the default gateway for internet traffic and Google Search queries.
With more than 400 million weekly active ChatGPT users, OpenAI already has a strong base to convert. The integration of ChatGPT-style AI inside a native browser environment could dramatically increase user engagement, while simultaneously allowing OpenAI to access the kind of granular behavioral data previously only available to Google.
While OpenAI declined to comment on the development, sources said the company has opted to build the browser itself, rather than operate as a plugin within an existing browser. The decision, they added, gives OpenAI greater control over the data and user interface—key advantages as it races to stay ahead in the AI arms race.
The browser will also serve as a natural integration point for OpenAI’s “Operator,” an AI agent capable of executing digital tasks autonomously. With access to browser-level data, Operator could evolve into a full-fledged assistant managing entire workflows, from researching a topic to completing purchases or scheduling travel.
An Uphill Climb
However, OpenAI faces a formidable uphill climb. Chrome currently controls more than two-thirds of the global browser market, according to StatCounter. Apple’s Safari trails far behind with 16%, and other Chromium-based browsers like Opera and Microsoft Edge occupy smaller slivers of the market.
OpenAI is not the only player trying to reshape the browser. Perplexity recently launched its own AI browser called Comet. Brave and The Browser Company have also unveiled AI-infused tools designed to navigate or act on behalf of users. But OpenAI’s move may carry more weight given its existing user base and the momentum behind ChatGPT’s brand.
The browser push also follows OpenAI’s foray into hardware. In May, the company acquired AI startup “io,” founded by former Apple design chief Jony Ive, in a $6.5 billion deal. These moves signal a new phase for OpenAI as it seeks to build not just software tools, but entire ecosystems.
Adding to its firepower, OpenAI has brought in heavyweight talent from Google itself. Last year, it hired two longtime vice presidents from Google who were among the original architects of Chrome. The hires hint at long-term ambitions to build a Chrome rival from the inside out.
The Legal Overtones
The timing of OpenAI’s browser push could prove strategic. The U.S. Department of Justice is currently pursuing a major antitrust case against Google’s search dominance and has floated the possibility of breaking up parts of its empire, including divesting from Chrome. In a recent hearing, an OpenAI executive even testified that the company would be interested in acquiring Chrome if such a divestiture occurred.
For now, Google has resisted any move to sell and plans to appeal the monopoly ruling. But OpenAI appears to be preparing to challenge Google’s grip on internet navigation head-on—first with its own tools, and potentially later, with deeper ambitions.
The arrival of an OpenAI browser marks a pivotal moment in the AI era. If it gains traction, it could become the competition that Google needs to keep Chrome – as it might finally crack open Google’s once-impregnable dominance over the modern internet.