OpenAI launches AI web browser ChatGPT Atlas. Here is everything we know

OpenAI has entered a new internet battleground against Google with the launch of its AI-powered web browser called ChatGPT Atlas.

The tool was unveiled on Tuesday in a livestream with the company's chief executive officer, Sam Altman, saying Atlas was: “The way that we hope people will use the internet in the future… the chat experience in a web browser can be a great analogue".

The company said the tool was available "globally," including in Europe, on macOS from Tuesday, but that for Windows, iOS, and Android, it was “coming soon”.

What can it do?

One of the key features the company touts is memory, which means the browser can see and remember what you browse, to make web searching more personalised. These 'memories' can also be seen and managed by the user, which could be useful when wanting to look through your browsing history.

It also has an agent mode, whereby ChatGPT will take actions for you, such as grocery shopping or editing a document you might be working on.

A browser built with ChatGPT takes us closer to a true super-assistant that understands your world and helps you achieve your goals, the company said.

However, the “agent mode” is only available to ChatGPT Plus and Pro users for now.

What happens to your data?

OpenAI said you can clear browsing history or browse incognito. It also said the content browsed is not used to train the company's AI models.

The company also said that the same parental controls set up for ChatGPT will carry across to Atlas. Parental controls in Atlas will also include the option for parents to turn off browser memories and agent mode.

The AI browser war

Google is the dominant internet browser, and in September, the company said it would embed its Gemini AI assistant into Chrome and later bring features to do tasks such as shopping and scheduling appointments.

Meanwhile, Perplexity has already launched an AI-powered browser to streamline searches and even make Amazon purchases.