OpenAI Expresses Interest in Purchasing Google Chrome

OpenAI may want to acquire Google’s Chrome browser if the DOJ’s proposal to divest it becomes effective. That’s why Nick Turley, the Head of Product for ChatGPT said yesterday (via Bloomberg) on the second day of Google’s antitrust trial.

“Yes, we would, as would many other parties,” Turley said when asked if OpenAI would be interested in acquiring the leading web browser on the market. The ChatGPT boss added that owning Chrome would allow OpenAI to “introduce users into what an AI-first experience looks like.”

As of today, ChatGPT is available on the web and dedicated apps for mobile and PCs. There’s also a ChatGPT search browser extension for Chrome that changes the browser’s default search engine to ChatGPT search. While Chatgpt.com currently ranks #6 on the list of most-visited websites from Similarweb, Turley acknowledged during his testimony that the AI chatbot has a distribution problem.

OpenAI did partner with Apple to integrate ChatGPT with Siri, but the company has been unsuccessful in striking a similar deal with Android phone makers. The OpenAI exec did mention previous discussions with Samsung, which is now a close partner to Google with AI. “It was not a lack of trying,” Turley said. “We never got to a point where we could discuss concrete terms.”

While it remains to be seen if Google’s antitrust trial will result in the company being forced to sell its Chrome browser, OpenAI may not wait for such an uncertain outcome. Back in November, The Information reported that the ChatGPT maker was considering developing its own web browser that would deeply integrate the chatbot.