The new OpenAI browser called Atlas was introduced; A serious threat to Google’s dominance

OpenAI unveiled its new web browser, Atlas, in a surprise live event. Opening the event, CEO Sam Altman said that OpenAI aims to redefine the web browsing experience in the age of artificial intelligence.

“We think artificial intelligence is a rare, once-in-a-decade opportunity to rethink how a browser works,” Altman said in the opening keynote. As in the past, the URL bar and the search box were known as the main ways for users to interact with the Internet, now the experience of chatting and browsing the web can be a new way for humans to interact with information.

A direct threat to Google

The Atlas browser project has been known as an “open secret” in Silicon Valley since this summer, but official details were not released until today. Now it’s clear that the project could pose a serious threat to Google and its Chrome browser — the same company that has dominated web browsing and search for years.

ChatGPT currently has more than 800 million weekly active users, and if these users migrate to Atlas, many of them will likely abandon Chrome. Although Chrome is free, such a change could seriously reduce Google’s ability to serve targeted ads and drive users to Google searches. This comes at a time when the US Department of Justice has banned Google from entering into any search exclusivity agreements.

Evolution in the search model

Ben Goodger, head of engineering at Atlas and one of the early developers of Firefox and Chrome, said at the event that chat-based search in Atlas will be a “paradigm change” in how users interact with the web.
“This new search model is really powerful,” he explained. “Instead of just being directed to a web page, you can interact with the results back and forth.”

Unlike Google’s approach, which usually displays AI results in a box on the results page, OpenAI offers a conversational and interactive experience that analysts say will be very difficult for Google to emulate.

The possibility of entering advertisements

Although OpenAI does not currently display ads in its products, there are signs that this may change. The listing of several AdTech job openings has led some analysts to speculate that OpenAI is preparing the infrastructure to enter the digital advertising market.

Atlas Browser can allow ChatGPT to collect data directly from users’ browser windows — information that is valuable for ad targeting. This level of access, which includes viewing the content of pages opened by the user, also raises privacy concerns.

A future beyond the browser

While it’s too early to gauge Atlas’ success, OpenAI’s new business trajectory shows the company is focusing on growing users and sustainable revenue, not just achieving ambitious AGI goals.
Products like Atlas may be the first sign of OpenAI’s attempt to build an ecosystem that has everything from infrastructure to user experience under its control.