OpenAI has launched Atlas, a new AI-powered web browser designed to transform how users navigate the internet, perform research, and shop online.
Announced on Tuesday, Atlas goes live worldwide on macOS today, with Windows, iOS, and Android to emerge subsequently subsequently.
The new browser seamlessly integrates ChatGPT OpenAI’s chatbot, allowing users to bring the power of the AI assistant with them across every corner of the web, offering instant answers, smarter suggestions, and hands-on task support, all within a privacy framework users can control.
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OpenAI CEO Sam Altman revealed that the company is trying to revolutionize how humans interact with the internet. He explains that the chat experience in a web browser can be a great analog for people in the future when using the internet.
Atlas features a ChatGPT sidebar that can be opened in any browser window. From there, users can instantly summarize web content, compare products, or analyze data directly from the site they are viewing. The browser is designed to make digital tasks more intuitive and efficient by keeping ChatGPT accessible at all times.
A key highlight of Atlas is its memory customization. Users can choose what ChatGPT remembers, enabling it to provide contextually relevant information whenever it’s needed. This gives users the flexibility to personalize their browsing experience while maintaining full control over what data is stored or forgotten.
One of Atlas’s most innovative capabilities is its “agent mode.” In this mode, ChatGPT can interact directly with websites on the user’s behalf, but always under their supervision. The AI can handle end-to-end tasks such as researching, planning, or even shopping for a trip. Currently, agent mode is available in preview for ChatGPT Plus, Pro, and Business subscribers.
Atlas also transforms how users interact with text online. By simply highlighting text in emails, calendar invites, or documents, users can turn their cursor into a collaborator receiving quick insights, edits, or summaries from ChatGPT with a single click.
OpenAI emphasizes user control and privacy throughout the browsing experience. Users can decide which sites ChatGPT can access, clear their browsing history, use incognito mode, or manage browser memories at any time. To maintain safety and privacy, OpenAI included several safeguards. Atlas cannot run code in the browser, download files, install extensions, or access files and applications on users’ computers. Additionally, it pauses before performing actions on sensitive websites such as online banking or financial portals.
Industry experts believe this development could redefine online interaction. Microsoft’s Chief Communications Officer Frank Shaw earlier this year described this shift as the dawn of “the era of AI agents,” emphasizing a vision of an open, agentic web where intelligent systems make decisions and carry out tasks for individuals and organizations.
He described it as a transformative phase where AI helps “solve problems in new ways,” backed by real-world adoption. Notably, Hundreds of thousands of customers are using Microsoft 365 Copilot to help research, brainstorm and develop solutions, and more than 230,000 organizations including 90% of the Fortune 500 have already used Copilot Studio to build AI agents and automations.
With Atlas, OpenAI has not only introduced a new way to browse the internet but also provided a tangible step toward a future where AI agents seamlessly handle online tasks, blurring the line between human intent and digital execution.