OpenAI has unveiled ChatGPT Atlas, its new AI-powered web browser designed to redefine how people search, browse, and interact online — marking the company’s boldest move yet to challenge Google’s dominance in web search and browsing.
The company announced the launch today, revealing that Atlas will first be available on macOS, with support for Windows, iOS, and Android rolling out soon. Notably, the browser will be accessible to all free ChatGPT users at launch.
The next frontier in AI competition
The launch of ChatGPT Atlas signals a growing shift in the tech industry, as AI-powered browsers emerge as the next major battleground. While Google Chrome remains the global leader, startups like Perplexity with its Comet browser and The Browser Company with Dia have already begun integrating conversational AI into the web experience.
Tech giants such as Google and Microsoft are also racing to embed AI features into Chrome and Edge respectively — an indication that the future of web browsing may look vastly different from today’s tab-based experience.
What makes ChatGPT Atlas different
Ben Goodger, OpenAI’s Engineering Lead for Atlas, explained during a livestream that ChatGPT is at the core of the browser’s experience. Users can chat directly with their search results — similar to how Perplexity’s AI search or Google’s AI Mode operates.
One of the browser’s key features is its “sidecar” chatbot — a built-in ChatGPT window that automatically understands the content on your screen. This allows users to get contextual assistance without copying and pasting text or URLs.
Adam Fry, Product Lead for ChatGPT Atlas, also confirmed that the browser includes browser history integration, allowing ChatGPT to learn from users’ online behavior and tailor answers accordingly.
AI agents and automation
ChatGPT Atlas isn’t stopping at conversation. It also introduces an “agent mode,” which allows users to ask ChatGPT to perform small web-based tasks — such as filling out forms, conducting searches, or organizing information — directly within the browser.
However, this feature will initially be available only to ChatGPT Plus, Pro, and Business users. OpenAI says it plans to expand access as the tool matures.
While similar automation tools in other AI browsers have struggled with complex web tasks, OpenAI is betting that Atlas’s deep ChatGPT integration will make the experience smoother and more reliable.
Redefining the browser experience
Nick Turley, Head of ChatGPT at OpenAI, told TechCrunch during the company’s DevDay conference that browsers have become “the new operating systems” — central to how people work and live online. He believes ChatGPT Atlas represents the next logical evolution, where AI becomes an active collaborator in the browsing process rather than just a search assistant.
Still, whether OpenAI can meaningfully challenge Google Chrome — which boasts over three billion users worldwide — remains to be seen. For now, ChatGPT Atlas represents one of the most ambitious attempts yet to merge search, automation, and AI conversation into a single unified browsing experience.
