ChatGPT Maker Wants to Buy Chrome?

OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT has expressed interest in buying Google Chrome, but only if Google is ever forced to sell it.

This surprising statement came during a U.S. government trial against Google, where OpenAI executive Nick Turley testified as part of a major antitrust case. The goal? To determine whether Google’s grip on the online search world is too strong and if something needs to be done about it.

Chrome is currently the king of web browsers. According to data from Similarweb, about 64% of internet users browse the web with Chrome, leaving Apple’s Safari trailing far behind at just 21%. So, when Turley said OpenAI would be interested in Chrome if it were ever up for sale, it raised more than a few eyebrows.

Why this trial matters

This isn’t the first time the U.S. Department of Justice has gone after big tech. Last year, Google was found to have a monopoly in online search. And just last week, the court ruled it also holds an illegal monopoly in online advertising technology. Google plans to appeal both rulings.

Now, the latest trial is all about finding a solution. If Google has too much power in search, what should be done? Should they be forced to sell parts of their empire like Chrome?

OpenAI, of course, is watching this very closely. Turley testified that OpenAI once tried to strike a deal with Google, the idea was to bring Google search results into ChatGPT to boost its performance and reduce AI “hallucinations” (when chatbots make things up). But according to Turley, Google said no.

What’s OpenAI’s play here?

It’s worth noting that OpenAI isn’t totally dependent on Google. The company already has a partnership with Microsoft, which owns Bing and the Edge browser. Still, getting access to Chrome, the world’s most-used browser would be a game-changer for OpenAI’s AI models and their ability to gather better data in real time.

Also interesting, OpenAI might not be stopping at browsers. Reports suggest the company is exploring the idea of launching a social media platform to rival X (formerly Twitter). While still in early development, the project shows just how wide OpenAI’s ambitions are getting.

What you should know

As AI tools like ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini become more embedded in how we search the web, the lines between search engines, browsers, and AI assistants are starting to blur. 

Whoever controls the platform people use to access the internet has a huge influence over what they see and how they interact with AI.

That’s why this trial isn’t just about Google and its rivals. It’s about the future of the internet, and whether one company should be allowed to dominate it.

And for OpenAI, Chrome might just be the key to that future, if it ever becomes available.