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OpenAI set to launch AI-powered browser to rival Google Chrome

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OpenAI is reportedly preparing to release a new AI-powered web browser in the coming weeks that aims to challenge Google Chrome’s dominance, according to sources familiar with the matter. The browser will leverage artificial intelligence to transform the way users interact with the web, potentially offering a more integrated experience that keeps some browsing activities within a ChatGPT-style chat interface rather than directing users to external websites.

This move marks a strategic push by OpenAI to gain direct access to user data—an essential asset for competing with Google, whose Chrome browser is a critical component of Alphabet’s advertising business, generating nearly 75% of its revenue. By controlling browsing data, OpenAI could directly rival Google in targeted advertising and user engagement.

With over 500 million weekly active ChatGPT users, OpenAI’s browser has the potential to significantly disrupt Google’s advertising ecosystem. The browser will be built on Chromium, the open-source codebase behind Chrome and other browsers like Microsoft Edge and Opera, allowing OpenAI to control data collection and integration more effectively.

The new browser is also designed to integrate OpenAI’s AI agent tools, such as Operator, enabling automated actions on behalf of users, including booking reservations or filling forms within websites—enhancing convenience and utility.

OpenAI’s founder Sam Altman, who has driven the company’s rapid innovation since ChatGPT’s launch in 2022, is betting on this browser as part of a broader strategy to embed AI deeper into daily personal and work life.

Competition is fierce: Google Chrome currently commands over two-thirds of the global browser market with more than 3 billion users, while Apple’s Safari holds a distant second place with 16%. Other AI-driven browsers like Comet by Perplexity, The Browser Company, and Brave have already launched AI-enhanced browsing experiences.

The Department of Justice’s ongoing antitrust actions against Google—following a ruling that Alphabet holds a monopoly in online search—highlight the regulatory challenges facing the search and browser giant. OpenAI has even expressed interest in acquiring Chrome if forced divestiture occurs.

Unlike merely creating a plug-in for existing browsers, OpenAI’s decision to build its own browser aims to maximize control over user data, a crucial factor for AI’s effectiveness and business value.

OpenAI declined to comment on the launch details.

Amazon eyes deeper investment in Anthropic to stay ahead in AI race

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Amazon is reportedly considering another multibillion-dollar investment in Anthropic, the artificial intelligence firm behind the Claude AI models, according to the Financial Times. The potential move would strengthen Amazon’s position as a major player in the rapidly intensifying global AI race.

The report, citing sources familiar with the matter, says Amazon wants to expand on the $8 billion investment it committed to Anthropic in November 2023. That initial deal, which included an upfront $4 billion, made Amazon one of the company’s largest stakeholders, alongside Google, which has invested more than $3 billion into Anthropic.

Both Amazon and Anthropic declined to comment on the renewed talks when contacted by Reuters.

A race to stay relevant in AI

Amazon’s increasing interest in Anthropic highlights its urgency to catch up to rivals OpenAI and Google, who have made significant consumer-facing advances in generative AI over the past two years. Anthropic’s Claude family of AI models competes directly with OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini.

“We quickly realized that we had many shared goals that were fundamentally critical,” said Dan Grossman, Amazon’s VP of worldwide corporate development. “The size of the (existing investment) represents our ambition.”

Amazon’s deepened partnership with Anthropic could also help it attract top AI talent, an increasingly competitive space where companies are offering equity, massive compensation packages, and research freedom to lure leading minds in machine learning and large language models.

Strategic implications

Amazon’s AI ambitions are closely tied to its cloud business, AWS, where Anthropic’s models are being integrated into services for enterprise customers. The ongoing partnership gives Anthropic priority access to AWS’s Trainium and Inferentia chips, optimizing both model development and deployment.

Beyond infrastructure, Amazon is aiming to embed Claude-powered AI tools deeper into Alexa, Amazon Web Services, and its e-commerce ecosystem, which could give it an edge in personalized search, voice interfaces, and customer service automation.

The prospective increase in funding would also help Amazon maintain equity leadership in Anthropic amid growing investor interest in the startup. With AI startups commanding soaring valuations, Amazon appears determined not to lose strategic control over a potential future titan in the field.

Ilya Sutskever Takes Charge of Safe Superintelligence After CEO Daniel Gross Joins Meta Amid AI Talent War

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Ilya Sutskever, co-founder and former chief scientist of OpenAI, has stepped up to lead Safe Superintelligence (SSI), the AI startup he founded last year, following the departure of CEO Daniel Gross who was poached by Meta Platforms to head its AI products division.

Key Developments

  • Daniel Gross left SSI to join Meta amid an intensifying AI talent war, where major tech companies compete fiercely with lucrative pay and strategic acquisitions.

  • Meta has also tried to recruit Sutskever and acquire SSI, which was valued recently at $32 billion, but Sutskever emphasized the startup’s focus on its mission, despite the interest.

  • SSI raised $1 billion last year aiming to build advanced AI systems that safely surpass human intelligence.

Background on Sutskever and Meta’s AI Push

  • Sutskever previously played a pivotal role at OpenAI but departed following internal leadership turmoil involving Sam Altman in late 2023.

  • Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently created Meta Superintelligence Labs, consolidating the company’s AI efforts after challenges with its Llama 4 model and losing key talent.

  • This new unit will be led by Alexandr Wang (ex-Scale AI CEO) and Nat Friedman (ex-GitHub chief), with Meta investing $14.3 billion in Scale AI to bolster its AI capabilities.

Industry Connections and Meta’s Strategy

  • Gross and Friedman co-founded venture capital firm NFDG, which backs startups including SSI, Perplexity, and Figma.

  • Meta reportedly offered to buy a minority stake in NFDG’s funds, signaling a strategic push to influence key players in the AI startup ecosystem.

  • Gross’s background includes a 2013 startup acquisition by Apple and leadership roles in machine learning and AI at the tech giant.