OpenAI is officially taking on Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge with the launch of ChatGPT Atlas, a brand-new AI-powered web browser. Announced during a livestream demo Tuesday, October 22, 2025, Atlas is now available globally for macOS users, with support for Windows, iOS, and Android “coming soon,” according to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.
Atlas isn’t just another browser with a chatbot tacked on top. Instead, it’s built with ChatGPT as its “beating heart,” providing a persistent assistant that sits right alongside your web content. By default, whenever you click a search result, Atlas opens a split-screen: one side displays the website, while the other keeps a running ChatGPT transcript, ready to summarize, answer questions, or even tidy up selected text in emails using a feature called “cursor chat.” If users prefer, they can switch off the split view.
Agent Mode and Personalization
A standout feature of Atlas is its “agent mode,” available exclusively to ChatGPT Plus and Pro subscribers. In this mode, ChatGPT can actively navigate the web on your behalf—clicking, scrolling, and interacting with sites based on your browsing history and instructions. However, it can’t download files, install software, or access your local file system, and it asks for explicit permission on sensitive sites like online banking. OpenAI has implemented several safeguards, reflecting the experimental nature of this deeply integrated AI feature.
Atlas also touts enhanced memory for more personalized browsing, with product lead Adam Fry describing it as “more helpful to you” the longer you use it. Users can interact directly with ChatGPT within the browser window, generating emails, planning trips, or making spreadsheets without ever switching tabs—a leap beyond what most browsers currently offer.
The AI Browser Race Heats Up
Atlas is built on Chromium, the same open-source engine beneath Chrome, Edge, and Opera. Its debut comes as competitors like Google are embedding Gemini AI in Chrome, Microsoft is beefing up Edge with Copilot Mode, and Perplexity has entered the fray with its Comet AI browser. Earlier this year, The Browser Company was acquired by Atlassian for $610 million, underscoring just how hot the AI browser market has become.
For now, the agent mode remains for paying users, but the browser itself is free to download. OpenAI, which says ChatGPT already serves over 800 million users, sees Atlas as a potential gateway for new revenue streams—especially as it faces mounting costs and the challenge of turning a profit. The company hopes Atlas will change how people interact with the web, making AI not just an add-on, but an ever-present digital companion.
