OpenAI is reportedly working on a browser that integrates a chatbot and search function powered by artificial intelligence (AI). The company has been discussing this project with potential clients to promote the new search feature that would benefit from their browser. According to The Information, companies like Condé Nast, Eventbrite, and Priceline have seen the new product. A browser with integrated AI search could make OpenAI a stronger competitor to Google, which dominates the browser market with Chrome. Other browsers like Microsoft Edge, Brave, and Opera use Google’s Chromium as their base. It is uncertain if OpenAI would use Chromium, especially since Microsoft has abandoned its own development.
There is no immediate plan to release a browser. However, OpenAI’s SearchGPT is already a competitor to Google’s search engine, and other AI search engines like Perplexity aim to challenge Google’s dominance. Google’s AI chatbot, Gemini, has not received as much attention as OpenAI’s ChatGPT since its release.
Google is currently under scrutiny from various competition and market regulators. In the United States, the Department of Justice wants Google to sell its Chrome browser. There is also a possibility that Google might have to sell its mobile operating system, Android. This request has been filed with the U.S. District Court in Washington D.C. The move follows a ruling on Google’s monopoly, stating that Google has exploited its dominant position to prevent competition. This includes favoring its search engine by having it pre-installed on many devices and generating most of its revenue from search-related advertising.
Not only in the U.S. but also the European Commission has started formal investigations into Google’s business practices. These are preliminary checks to see if Google complies with the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which aims to ensure a fair market by requiring the opening of certain services and products. Recently, DuckDuckGo complained that Google is not adhering to the DMA and called for further investigations. These complaints also concern Google’s browser and search engine.
If OpenAI were to offer a browser, chatbot, and search in one package, similar accusations could arise against the AI provider. However, OpenAI does not currently hold a monopoly like Google does.