Today, OpenAI launched Its new Atlas web browser will be revealed in a surprise Livestream. The show began with CEO Sam Altman speaking directly to the crowd. Altman said
: “We believe AI represents a once-a decade opportunity to rethink the browser,” Altman said. “In the same manner that, for the prior way people used internet, the URL and search box were great analogies, what we’re beginning to see is that chat experience and web browser can be analogues.”
This was an inspirational note in the classic Steve Job mode. Altman’s browser is important, but even more so is the clutter he was clearing out to make way. Altman wasn’t just slamming the current browsers, but a whole package that is about to be replaced with AI — or, as Altman put, “the previous way people use the internet”. And most of these soon-to-be-obsolete services trace back to one company: Google. OpenAI’s project to create a browser has been a secret in Silicon Valley for years. At least this summer – and it was clear that it would be an potential threat to Google, the current owner of the most popular browser in the world. But Tuesday’s product details and presentation made it clear how much Google has to lose as the AI era begins — and how little success with Gemini appears to have helped.
It’s easy to see the immediate threat: ChatGPT attracts 800 million users per week. If they switch to Atlas, it’s likely that they will leave Chrome. Google doesn’t lose money by losing these users (it’s free after all), but it does limit its ability to target ads or encourage them to use Google Search. This is a particularly sore point for Google because, Google was prohibited by the U.S. Department of Justicefrom making any exclusive search deals just last month.
Next, there’s the way OpenAI deals with search. AI has already stretched the search model on the web by surfacing processed content instead of content which can be advertised. Ben Goodger, Atlas’ head of engineering (who was a key figure in the development of both Firefox and Chrome), described this new chat-oriented type of search as a paradigm change on OpenAI’s livestream.
Goodger said, “This new search model is really powerful.” It’s a multiturn experience.October 27-29, 2025
Of course, Google has done a lot to integrate AI into the normal search experience — but the company has mostly approached it the same way as product listings or reviews: by adding a box to the results page. OpenAI’s back-and-forth engagement is unlike anything you’ll find on Chrome. And because it’s so different, it’s hard to copy. If OpenAI’s interface for searching is popular, it could pose a serious challenge to Google’s dominance.
There’s also the advertising question. OpenAI does not serve advertising at this time, but it is being careful. Not to rule it outThe company has been scrutinized as well Listing a lot adtech job listings in recent monthsfuels speculation that an ad-pivot might be on its way. Atlas allows ChatGPT to collect context from the user’s browser, which is extremely valuable for ad-targeting. This is a new level of direct browser access, literally watching the words you type on your screen. After decades of privacy concerns, this is not the type of sensitive information users would give to Google or Meta. Atlas is still in its early stages and much will depend on whether users want what OpenAI has to offer. The company has taken a surprising commercial path, one that is focused on revenue and user growth instead of vague AGI ambitions. Infrastructure wonks ponder Atlas products may be the best place to start looking for answers to the $300 billion question about whether OpenAI’s revenue can ever match its massive data center buildout.
Russell Brandom is a tech journalist who has covered the industry since 2012. He focuses on platform policy and emerging technology. He has previously worked for The Verge and Rest of World and written for Wired’s Technology Review, The Awl, and The Awl. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Signal at 412-401-5489.
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