OpenAI introduces Atlas, a web browser built around ChatGPT

OpenAI has unveiled ChatGPT Atlas, a new web browser designed to place its AI assistant at the heart of the online experience, in what the company describes as a move towards creating a “super-assistant” capable of understanding and acting on users’ intentions across the web. The launch marks OpenAI’s latest effort to take on Google in the race for AI-driven search and browser dominance.

Atlas integrates ChatGPT directly into the browsing experience, allowing users to interact with websites, summarise content, and complete tasks without leaving the page or copying and pasting information. “AI gives us a rare moment to rethink what it means to use the web,” OpenAI said on its website. “A browser built with ChatGPT takes us closer to a true super-assistant that understands your world and helps you achieve your goals.”

Atlas comes with browser memories, which allow ChatGPT to retain context from visited sites and recall it when needed. For example, users can ask ChatGPT to compile a summary of job postings they viewed earlier, along with trends in the industry. OpenAI emphasises that these memories are optional and fully controllable, with settings to view, archive, or delete data at any time.

For paid users, Atlas also features agent mode, which enables ChatGPT to perform tasks on behalf of the user, such as researching, planning events, or booking appointments. According to OpenAI, improvements in agent mode now allow the AI to operate more efficiently with the context of the user’s browsing session.

The browser is initially launching worldwide for macOS, accessible to Free, Plus, Pro, and Go users, with a beta version available for Business, Enterprise, and Edu users if enabled by plan administrators. Versions for Windows, iOS, and Android are expected to follow.

OpenAI’s entry into the browser market comes at a time when AI-driven tools are reshaping the way people search and interact online. With over 800 million weekly active ChatGPT users, the company is positioning Atlas as a way to extend its AI capabilities into everyday web activity, potentially challenging Google’s dominance in search by offering a conversational alternative that synthesises information rather than relying solely on traditional keyword queries.

Atlas joins a growing list of AI-powered browsers, including Perplexity’s Comet, Brave, and Opera’s Neon, all competing to offer tools that can summarise content, automate tasks, and enhance productivity. With the launch of Atlas, OpenAI is signalling that the next wave of browser innovation may increasingly be defined by AI rather than conventional browsing.