The future of Google’s digital empire is in a legal tangle as US regulators push for drastic measures following a landmark antitrust ruling. With the US Department of Justice Department calling for a breakup of Google’s search monopoly, including a proposal to spin off the Chrome browser, potential buyers are already eyeing pieces of the company.
Among them is OpenAI, according to a report by Bloomberg. Speaking at a hearing on the case, Nick Turley, head of ChatGPT at OpenAI, said the company would be interested in acquiring Chrome if it came up for sale. “Yes, we would, as would many other parties,” Turley said, suggesting that OpenAI envisions a deeper integration of its AI tools within the browser environment. He described a possible future where Chrome evolves into “an AI-first experience,” led by the capabilities of models like ChatGPT.
Currently, ChatGPT can be accessed via a Chrome extension, but owning the browser would open up far more possibilities for native integration. It would also raise fresh concerns about market concentration—transferring control of one dominant platform to another powerful AI company could spark its own antitrust scrutiny.
The browser isn’t the only Google asset under regulatory fire. A separate court recently found the company guilty of anti-competitive practices in online advertising. That decision may prompt calls for divestments beyond Chrome, potentially giving Google many a headaches.
For now, the Justice Department has not proposed limiting Google’s ongoing AI efforts, but how that intersects with any mandated sell-offs remains an open question. As regulators debate remedies and the appeals process looms, one thing is clear: any breakup of Google will have ripple effects across the industry—and every major player, from AI labs to cloud giants, is watching closely.
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