Atlas Browser: OpenAI on Tuesday introduced its new web browser Atlas. This launch puts the company directly in competition with Google as a rapidly increasing number of internet users are becoming dependent on AI-based answers.
ChatGPT will now become a new door for internet search
This new strategy of OpenAI is a big step towards making its famous chatbot ChatGPT the main center of online search. By doing this the company can get a chance to earn more from digital advertisements and traffic.
However, there is also a concern that if ChatGPT starts providing summary answers directly to people, it could impact the traffic of online publishers as users may stop clicking on traditional websites.
ChatGPT currently has over 800 million users, many of whom use it for free. The company also sells premium subscriptions but losses are still higher than earnings. Atlas is currently launched on Apple macOS and will soon be available on Windows, iOS and Android.
New beginning of browser war
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman described the launch as “a once-in-a-decade opportunity” to reshape how the browser is thought and used. Tech analyst Paddy Harrington believes that it will be a difficult challenge to compete with a giant like Google.
Legal and commercial scrutiny in the browser market has also intensified in the last few months. Even some time ago, an OpenAI official had said that if the court had ordered Google to sell Chrome, the company would have shown interest in buying it. But the American court rejected this petition.
Google Chrome currently has around 3 billion users and is already incorporating its Gemini AI features. The success story of Chrome in 2008 proves how speed and performance can change an entire market, now OpenAI is trying to follow the same path.
Altman’s vision
Altman believes that in the future, the URL bar of the traditional browser will be replaced by AI chat interface. The most special feature that has been added to Atlas is ‘Agent Mode’, it connects to the user’s laptop and automatically searches and clicks on the internet for him. It understands the user’s browsing history and goals and gives results accordingly. In Altman’s words, “It uses the Internet for you.”
However, some experts consider it a threat to user privacy and control. According to him, this feature can create a profile of the user based on his information and give search results influenced by advertisements.
Growing Dependence and Ethical Concerns on AI
According to a recent study, 60% of US citizens and 74% of youth under the age of 30 use AI to find information. Google has also started showing AI generated summaries in its search results since last year. But two major problems are emerging from this trend: “hallucinations”, copyright disputes such as The New York Times suing OpenAI for copyright infringement while agencies like Associated Press have prioritized licensing deals.
A recent report from the European Broadcasting Union found that almost half of the answers from leading AI assistants, including ChatGPT and Google Gemini, were found to be incorrect or incomplete.
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