OpenAI’s new web browser targets Google Chrome – and your data
OpenAI is finalising the release of its first AI-powered web browser – an ambitious move that could upend the dominance of Google Chrome and shift the battleground for user data, digital ad revenues, and cybersecurity.
The browser, expected to launch by the end of July, will embed a ChatGPT -style interface directly into the web experience, reported Reuters.
That means fewer clicks, fewer redirects, and critically, more time and data captured within OpenAI’s own ecosystem.
It’s a direct strike at Google’s business model. Chrome, used by over three billion people globally, plays a crucial role in funnelling user data into Alphabet’s vast advertising machinery.
Advertising represents around 75 per cent of Alphabet’s revenue, with Chrome serving as both data pipeline and traffic director for Google Search.
AI agents in your browser
The new browser’s most notable feature is ‘Operator’, an AI agent that performs web tasks – like booking a table or filling out forms – on behalf of users.
This function has security experts raising red flags.
“Profiling and data sharing may still be at the heart of the engine behind the browser itself so it is important that users fully understand the privacy settings on offer and that they are aware they may be trading personal browsing data for convenience”, said Jake Moore, global cybersecurity advisor at ESET.
Yet Moore added that while OpenAI’s data collection practices have drawn scrutiny, Google’s tracking is far more entrenched.
“From real-time location data to search history, Google has been monitoring users’ every move for years,” he notes.
Built on Google’s own Chromium code, OpenAI’s browser is part of a broader push to control key digital infrastructure and reduce reliance on rivals.
It could also serve as a platform for OpenAI to monetise its services through subscriptions, AI-driven commerce and enterprise tools.
But with new AI browsers from Perplexity, Brave and others entering the fray, OpenAI will face stiff competition fo user trust.