The maker of the world’s most popular artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot has launched a web browser, potentially accelerating the change in how people search and access information.
OpenAI, the company behind the pioneering ChatGPT generative AI chatbot, has launched its new internet browser, called Atlas.
It will feel familiar to users of the world’s most used internet browsing portal, Google Chrome, with the use of tabs and the ability to go into an “incognito” mode so viewing activity is not recorded.
Pic: OpenAI
Incognito mode. Pic: OpenAI
“Atlas should feel very familiar,” its product lead, Adam Fry, said. “So it has all of your tabs, bookmarks, autofill for passwords, all the things you’re used to.”
ChatGPT has been incorporated into the design of Atlas, not just “bolted on”, another of its creators said.
Pic: OpenAI
“We wanted to make sure that Atlas didn’t feel like your old browser, just with a chat button that was bolted on,” its lead engineer Ben Goodger said.
That means no need to copy and paste between tabs, with ChatGPT available on every page for any text box on the internet.
Pic: OpenAI
Through the homepage, users can search their viewing history.
Users’ activity on Atlas will be embedded in the experience.
“It should really feel like a natural extension of myself,” said OpenAI’s Will Ellsworth, the research lead for the AI agent in Atlas. Use of an AI ‘agent’ means artificial intelligence could research, plan or book activities.
So-called natural language controls mean people can access information by using prompts personal to them, such as “re-open shoes I looked at yesterday”.
Who can use it and when?
It’s currently available for Apple Mac users across the world. Even those signed up to the free version of ChatGPT can access Atlas.
Those paying for ChatGPT via OpenAI’s plus and pro packages can make use of the AI agent feature.
A time for when Atlas will be available on Windows, the iPhone’s iOS operating system and on Android has not been given.
Why does it matter?
Using an AI chatbot to search the internet is different and can yield different results than traditional search via a search engine.
Increased use of generative AI for search could mean some websites lose out on traffic and could change the way people use the internet.
While AI has become more energy efficient, it still uses far more electricity than traditional search.
The rising adoption of AI has outpaced potential energy efficiency improvements.
It is a serious challenger for Google, which had faced the threat of selling its Chrome browser after a US court found its search business was an illegal monopoly.
Just the start
OpenAI’s chief executive Sam Altman said: “There’s a lot more to add. This is still early days for this project.”
Google has been contacted for comment.
