ChatGPT Atlas is here and ready to replace Google Chrome

It’s no secret that OpenAI’s ChatGPT is one of the most popular AI tools in the world. Since its rise to prominence, many have wondered if the company would ever release its own AI-powered web browser. While ChatGPT has been competing directly with Google Gemini, it has always lacked a genuine alternative to Google Chrome. That is now changing.

During a recent livestream event, OpenAI announced the launch of its AI-powered web browser, ChatGPT Atlas, which is now available for free globally. OpenAI says ChatGPT Atlas is first rolling out to macOS, with it “coming soon” to Windows, iOS, and Android.

“With Atlas, ChatGPT can come with you anywhere across the web — helping you in the window right where you are, understanding what you’re trying to do, and completing tasks for you, all without copying and pasting or leaving the page,” OpenAI said in a blog post.

Some of the key features of ChatGPT Atlas include the ability to open an Ask ChatGPT sidebar, which allows you to ask questions to the AI chatbot about the webpage you’re currently viewing without having to leave the page, as well as a memory feature that can do things like reopen browser pages you’ve looked at in the past simply by asking ChatGPT.

OpenAI wants you to forget about your current web browser

ChatGPT Atlas

If you’re interested in trying out ChatGPT Atlas yourself, it’s available for free download from its website. In its blog post about the launch, OpenAI emphasized that switching to Atlas is “easy,” as it allows you to import your bookmarks, saved passwords, and browsing history from your current browser. Since it’s only available on macOS for the time being, it may be hard for many people to switch over to it fully, especially Windows users. Though OpenAI CEO Sam Altman stated they want to bring it over to Windows “as quickly as they can.”

While ChatGPT Atlas is free to use, it does have one paid agentic feature called Agent Mode, which can perform small tasks in your browser on your behalf, like helping you shop or perform research, without requiring you to type or click yourself. This feature is available for ChatGPT Plus, Pro, and Business subscribers, but OpenAI notes it is still an “early experience” and may “make mistakes on complex workflows.”

Like other web browsers, such as Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, or Firefox, ChatGPT Atlas does include privacy controls for users. OpenAI states that “you’re in control” of ChatGPT Atlas, allowing you to decide what the AI-powered browser can see. It features a toggle to disable ChatGPT’s ability to view the content of webpages you’re viewing, along with options to clear browsing history, use an incognito mode similar to Chrome, and manage its “browser memories” at any time.

With OpenAI’s web browser now available worldwide, the key question for many is whether it will be enough to challenge Google’s dominance of the web browser market with Google Chrome. According to Statcounter, Google Chrome holds nearly 72 percent of the global browser market share, so ChatGPT Atlas has a tough hill to climb if it wants to surpass it. Though given that ChatGPT now has over 700 million active monthly users, it could have a chance at making a dent in Chrome’s usage.