ChatGPT maker OpenAI on Tuesday unveiled its next-generation web browser, Atlas, marking a bold step from being just a popular chatbot app toward becoming a broader computing platform.
The launch signals a growing race over how people and their AI agents navigate the internet.
Atlas, first revealed in a YouTube event caption, joins a wave of AI-powered browsers, including Perplexity’s Comet. Meanwhile, Google and Microsoft may soon expand AI features in their own browsers.
With bot traffic expected to outpace human activity in the coming years, having a browser is strategic. The Atlas launch is part of OpenAI’s broader push to act like its own operating system.
Recent moves include ChatGPT Pulse, a dashboard providing proactive updates, and the viral Sora app for creating and sharing AI-generated videos aimed at competing with Meta and TikTok.
Users can also access apps like Spotify and Zillow in ChatGPT, and make purchases with partners like Etsy, with Walmart integration “coming soon”.