The Information: OpenAI explores building a browser to rival Google
OpenAI is working on a web browser integrated with its chatbot to compete with Google, per The Information.Â
Plans about the search product include discussions with major companies such as Conde Nast, Redfin, Eventbrite, and Priceline. Sources familiar with the matter said that prototypes and designs of the products have been shared with some of these companies.
Competition with GoogleÂ
The move could signal competition with Google which dominates the browser and search market with Chrome and Google Search. However, OpenAI appears to be in the early stages of this project and is still far from launching a browser.
Google controls about 90% of the search market. The company is currently under scrutiny in a Department of Justice antitrust case. If found guilty of monopolizing the market, the DOJ may push for remedies, including the forced sale of Chrome.
OpenAI is already in the search market. It launched ChatGPT Search earlier this month. However, the tool depends on existing browsers like Chrome and Bing’s indexing system to function.
OpenAI’s rising popularity
Despite its reliance on other platforms, ChatGPT is growing in popularity. Recent data by Similarweb shows that ChatGPT’s monthly traffic now competes with Google Chrome. The data shows that ChatGPT reached 3.7 billion visits in October, up 17.2% from the previous month. This surpasses the traffic of competitors such as Perplexity AI and Claude AI.
OpenAI has reportedly explored partnerships with Samsung, a key Google partner, to integrate AI tools into its devices. OpenAI already collaborates with Apple, powering its "Apple Intelligence" features with its technology.