OpenAI Wants Google’s Chrome: What That Might Mean for You
As Google continues to deal with government scrutiny over its search and advertising business practices (with the possibility that parts of its business will need to be broken off hanging in the air) OpenAI has thrown its hat into the ring for the company’s browser business.
In testimony during Google’s antitrust trial this week, OpenAI’s Head of Product for ChatGPT Nick Turley testified that the AI giant would be interested in buying the Google Chrome browser. The executive said that ChatGPT is “years away from its goal of being able to use its own search technology to answer 80% of queries,” Reuters reports.
Turley said in his testimony that attempts to work with Google on a deal to bring the company’s search results to work within ChatGPT were declined by Google.
Representatives for OpenAI and Google did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Google Chrome is the dominant web browser in the world with a 64% market share. The closest competitor is Apple’s Safari browser at 21%, according to Similarweb. The company introduced the web browser back in 2008.
What an OpenAI Chrome might mean for users
A web browser owned by a company that is focused on artificial intelligence would likely go through some major transformations, as Google’s business model is ad-based and OpenAI’s income is largely derived from large investments, licensing of its AI technology and subscriptions to its popular ChatGPT service.
It’s unclear whether Chrome would continue to be closely tied to Google’s services such as Gmail and search under OpenAI’s ownership, but it’s very likely that ChatGPT would be integrated into the browser software.
Keith Kakadia, an AI content strategist and CEO of the social media company Sociallyin, said that if OpenAI were to buy Chrome or make its own version of it, “it would be in a position to redefine the way we interact with the web.”
“Think of a browser that not only renders pages — but also helps, predicts and creates content with you in real time,” Kakadia said. “It would blur the distinction between search engine, co-pilot and creative tool.”
An AI-driven browser, he said, might involve less “Googling” and more active commands.
“You won’t search for recipes, but instead instruct your browser to prepare a meal plan based on the contents of your fridge,” Kakadia said. “Rather than completing forms, your browser could auto-fill multi-step workflows with intelligent context.”
For users, that AI assist might not always be completely welcome. Kakadia added that OpenAI will need to manage expectations around transparency and privacy.
“People want to be helped, but they don’t want to feel like they’re being watched,” he said. “If OpenAI is successful, it will not be a browser. It would be your AI-native portal to the web.”
What’s next for Google, Chrome and OpenAI
Google is in the first of what’s expected to be a three-week hearing in its antitrust case. At its conclusion, there might be a verdict that drastically changes the course of the company.
If Google is forced to sell Chrome and OpenAI swoops in to try to buy it, it won’t necessarily be a done deal, says Daniel Trick, head of content at the SEO company Fatjoe.
“I imagine Google will fight tooth and nail to stop the sale and the acquisition by OpenAI, so I wouldn’t imagine this is going to happen in the near future,” Trick said.
An acquisition would align with OpenAI’s efforts to get users to switch from web browsers to ChatGPT for search.
“ChatGPT has slowly been making its interface a lot more user friendly by adding emojis and making it a lot easier to digest information,” Trick said. “OpenAI would also be able to integrate Chrome with ChatGPT instead of Gemini, which would reduce Gemini’s user base significantly.”
“If they are able to acquire Chrome, it would combine the power of an LLM (large language model) with the familiarity and user friendliness of Chrome, probably making it the most powerful browser and LLM on the market,” he said.