OpenAI Unveils Browser “ChatGPT Atlas” to Challenge Google Chrome

OpenAI introduced its newly developed web browser, ChatGPT Atlas, on October 21, 2025, positioning it as a direct rival to Google Chrome and other major browsers.

The browser integrates the company’s popular chatbot, ChatGPT, into the browsing environment.

Users encounter a sidebar or split-screen view in which the AI can summarise webpages, assist with tasks, and maintain conversational context while they navigate the web.

During the launch livestream, CEO Sam Altman described Atlas as:

“an AI-powered web browser built around ChatGPT”.

One of the highlighted features is “agent mode” available to paid users. In this mode the AI can interact with websites on behalf of the user for booking travel, filling out forms, or performing a sequence of browsing actions.

Atlas is built on the Chromium engine, which ensures compatibility with existing web standards and extensions while adding the AI layer as a differentiator.

The initial release supports macOS globally, with versions for Windows, iOS and Android promised soon.

The announcement triggered a negative reaction in the market as the shares of Alphabet Inc., Chrome’s parent company, declined by around 1.6 % following the launch. 

We view Atlas as a key strategic move for OpenAI. With chat-based models increasingly used for information retrieval, the company is shifting from being a chatbot vendor to becoming a gateway to the web and is heading right into the future of how people browse the web.

At the same time, significant questions remain: user willingness to switch browsers after years of familiar tools; privacy implications of AI-driven context tracking; and whether Atlas can gain a meaningful share in the hardened browser market.