OpenAI has officially stepped into the browser war, and it’s doing it the AI way. The company on Tuesday unveiled ChatGPT Atlas, a brand-new web browser built directly around its viral chatbot.
The move puts OpenAI in direct competition with Google Chrome and newer AI browsers like Perplexity’s Comet. With Atlas, OpenAI wants to change how people browse, search, and get things done online, not just by fetching links, but by doing tasks for you. What exactly is ChatGPT Atlas Atlas is a web browser where ChatGPT is built right into your browsing experience. Instead of switching between tabs or copying text into a chat window, ChatGPT appears in a sidebar next to any website, summarising content, comparing products, or analysing data instantly. When you open a new tab, you can either enter a URL or simply ask a question. The results appear neatly with tabs for web links, images, videos, and news. Smart memory, smarter suggestions One of Atlas’s biggest selling points is browser memory; ChatGPT can remember what sites you’ve visited and what you were doing.This helps it pick up where you left off. For example: You could ask, “Find all the job postings I looked at last week and summarise the trends.” These memories are private and stored in your ChatGPT account. You can delete them anytime, clear browsing history, or even turn memory off completely. You’re also able to control which sites ChatGPT can or can’t access using a toggle in the address bar. Agent Mode: When ChatGPT does the work for you The standout feature of Atlas is its new Agent Mode, a hands-on assistant that can perform full tasks on your behalf. Imagine you’re planning a dinner party; ChatGPT can read a recipe, find ingredients, add them to an online cart, and order them to your home. When you enable Agent Mode, ChatGPT can open tabs, click buttons, and navigate sites, though it will always ask before doing so on sensitive pages. This feature is available in preview for Plus, Pro, and Business users and will expand as OpenAI improves reliability and speed. Privacy and safety first OpenAI says it has built several safeguards into Atlas to prevent misuse. The company also acknowledged possible threats from malicious hidden instructions on websites, which could trick agents into taking unintended actions, a growing concern as AI agents become more powerful.
OpenAI cautioned: Users should weigh the tradeoffs when deciding what information to provide to the agent. Availability ChatGPT Atlas is launching today for macOS users, including Free, Plus, Pro, and Go plans. It’s also available in beta for Business, Enterprise, and Education customers (if enabled by their admins). Versions for Windows, iOS, and Android are coming soon. Users can import bookmarks, passwords, and browsing history from their current browser to get started easily. Taking on Chrome and Perplexity’s Comet Atlas’s debut is a bold step into Google Chrome’s territory, and a direct shot at AI-native browsers like Perplexity’s Comet. Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas responded to the news with a subtle jab on X, posting: Browser as your assistant With Atlas, OpenAI is betting on a future where the browser itself becomes your assistant.
Instead of typing keywords and clicking links, users will increasingly rely on AI agents to browse, plan, and complete online tasks, hands-free.
