OpenAI is about to launch a web browser, report claims

OpenAI, the maker of AI assistant ChatGPT, is about to launch a web browser.

This is according to a new report by Reuters, which claims the company is very close to being ready, with the launch planned “in the coming weeks.”

The browser, which is unnamed in the report, will heavily rely on use of AI, and will have a native chat interface for instant access to ChatGPT.

OpenAI already has a search product called ChatGPT Search, which can be installed as a Chrome extension. It’s likely to be integrated with the upcoming web browser as well. The report also speculates that OpenAI could integrate some of its AI agents, such as Operator (an agent that can perform browsing tasks on behalf of the user), directly into the browsing experience.

If we’re speculating, OpenAI’s goal here could be to get access to more user data, as well as integrate its AI products directly into the browsing experience. With ChatGPT having 500 million weekly active users, the browser could potentially get a very large user base quickly, and become a formidable competitor to Google’s Chrome.

The news isn’t particularly surprising given that OpenAI publicly expressed interest in buying Chrome should Google be forced to sell it — which could be one of the consequences of the Google antitrust trial. An earlier report from The Information claimed that OpenAI is “considering” building its own web browser.

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.