OpenAI takes on Google Chrome, Perplexity Comet with new Atlas browser: All the details

OpenAI

OpenAI has officially entered the browser wars with its newest product — the ChatGPT Atlas browser. Announced during a livestream, Atlas is an AI-powered web browser that combines the power of ChatGPT with everyday internet browsing. Think of it as a smarter version of Chrome or Safari, where your browser doesn’t just show you web pages — it helps you think, act, and decide while you browse.

Atlas is launching globally for macOS users today, with Windows, iOS, and Android versions coming soon. However, one of its most interesting features — the “agent mode” — is currently available only to ChatGPT Plus and Pro subscribers. This mode lets ChatGPT perform real actions for you, like booking a restaurant, editing a document, or even helping with flight reservations.

The browser is also built with a memory system, meaning it can remember your preferences, past searches, and tasks to create a more personalized experience. But for users concerned about privacy, OpenAI has included an option to view, manage, or delete these “memories,” as well as browse in incognito mode.

Another standout feature is the split-screen view. When you click on a search result, Atlas automatically opens the website on one side and keeps your ChatGPT conversation on the other — like having a research buddy always ready to summarize, explain, or refine information without leaving the page. You can, of course, disable this view if you prefer a traditional layout.

There’s also a feature called “cursor chat,” where users can select text from emails or documents and instantly ask ChatGPT to rewrite, summarize, or correct it — all in-line.

This launch puts OpenAI in direct competition with Google Chrome and Perplexity’s Comet browser, both of which are integrating AI assistants to simplify browsing and automate online tasks. While Google’s Gemini AI is being baked into Chrome and Perplexity Comet focuses on providing instant, summarized answers, ChatGPT Atlas aims to blend all these experiences into one intelligent, action-oriented browser.

As OpenAI CEO Sam Altman put it, Atlas represents “the way people will use the internet in the future” — a future where your web browser doesn’t just show you the internet, it actively helps you navigate it.