Alphabet shares traded in red on Tuesday after OpenAI announced the launch of ChatGPT Atlas, an artificial intelligence-powered web browser that integrates its flagship chatbot directly into the browsing experience.
The product marks a major strategic move for the company as it seeks to challenge Google Chrome’s dominance in how users access and interact with information online.
The rollout begins with macOS, with Windows, iOS, and Android versions to follow.
Notably, OpenAI said that Atlas will be available to all free users at launch.
A new AI-driven browser experience
ChatGPT Atlas represents OpenAI’s latest attempt to expand the role of its AI beyond chat, embedding it into users’ daily online workflows.
Engineering Lead Ben Goodger described Atlas during a livestream as a browser built around ChatGPT, allowing users to “chat with their search results” in real time.
The browser includes a “sidecar” feature — a built-in chatbot panel that automatically has context for whatever appears on the user’s screen.
This setup removes the need for users to copy, paste, or drag content into ChatGPT manually, streamlining common workflows such as research, summarization, and analysis.
According to Product Lead Adam Fry, Atlas also introduces “browser history” functionality that allows ChatGPT to remember visited sites and user interactions.
This data is used to make responses and recommendations more personalized, a feature that distinguishes Atlas from other AI browsers.
Competition in a crowded AI browser market
The browser market has rapidly become one of the AI industry’s most competitive frontiers.
While Google Chrome remains the dominant player with over three billion users worldwide, new entrants have emerged seeking to redefine how users find and process information online.
Startups such as Perplexity (with its Comet browser) and The Browser Company (creator of Dia) have already released AI-powered browsers, while Google and Microsoft have integrated AI features into Chrome and Edge, respectively.
These tools aim to automate online tasks, from summarizing articles to completing forms and make browsing more interactive and efficient.
OpenAI’s own browser adds to this trend with an “agent mode” that allows ChatGPT to perform small tasks on behalf of users, such as completing research or making purchases.
However, this mode will initially be restricted to users on the Plus, Pro, and Business subscription tiers.
Market reaction and outlook
Following the announcement of ChatGPT Atlas, shares of Alphabet (GOOG) — the parent company of Google and owner of Chrome — fell 1.6% in afternoon trading to $252.25.
Up to the last close, Alphabet’s stock had risen roughly 36% this year.
While it remains uncertain whether OpenAI’s new browser can significantly dent Chrome’s global market share, the move underscores a broader shift in how AI is reshaping user experiences online.
As Nick Turley, Head of ChatGPT, told TechCrunch, browsers have historically redefined what an operating system can be — and OpenAI believes ChatGPT could have a similar transformative effect.
With the global release of ChatGPT Atlas on macOS and plans to expand across major platforms, OpenAI is positioning itself to compete directly in a space long dominated by traditional browsers — and potentially redefine the future of web interaction.
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