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OpenAI has launched a web browser as it seeks to compete with Big Tech groups such as Google and its biggest investor Microsoft to control the tools people use to access the internet.
The browser, called Atlas, includes a ChatGPT interface that allows users to ask questions of the chatbot more easily alongside what they are viewing on their desktop, the company said on Tuesday.
OpenAI also previewed an ‘agent mode’, in which artificial intelligence can take control of the cursor and keyboard and complete tasks on the computer — such as booking tickets or conducting research — based on user instructions.
Atlas will be released to Mac users initially, OpenAI said, with plans to roll out the browser to Windows desktop and mobile devices in future.
Sam Altman, chief executive of OpenAI, said: “We think that AI represents a rare once-a-decade opportunity to rethink what a browser can be about and how to use one, and how to most productively and pleasantly use the web.”
The launch underscores the company’s attempt to draw in more users, beyond the 800mn people who use ChatGPT weekly. It has been exploring ways to monetise its free users and draw in additional revenues.
Creating its own browser will give OpenAI a more direct relationship with its users, many of whom access ChatGPT on browsers controlled by Google and Microsoft. ChatGPT already has its own mobile app.
With permission, ChatGPT will also use information from users’ web history on the browser to give more relevant answers and suggestions, the company said.
Fidji Simo, chief executive of applications for OpenAI, said: “Over time, we see ChatGPT evolving to become the operating system for your life: a fully connected hub that helps you manage your day and achieve your long-term goals.”
Several companies have integrated AI into browsers. Google launched its Gemini chatbot in Chrome last month, and search start-up Perplexity released its Comet AI browser in July. Microsoft, OpenAI’s largest financial backer, also announced a rollout of an AI Copilot Mode into its Edge browser in July.
OpenAI’s move marks a particular challenge to Google, whose dominance of search and the web browser market is the cornerstone of its business.
Google shares dropped as much as 3 per cent following the news, while Microsoft dipped less than 1 per cent.
The launch comes a few months after OpenAI said it would consider a bid for Google’s Chrome browser if a US court required it to be sold as part of a monopoly case.
A district judge last month ruled Google did not have to sell Chrome, citing the competition posed by AI and chatbots including ChatGPT.
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