OpenAI’s new browser, Atlas, built around ChatGPT, does away with the address bar. What’s the AI startup hoping to achieve- a return on its massive bets or leading online search?
ChatGPT has left a dent in how people interact with and browse through the web. It used to be hours of searching through different SERPs that gave us tons of results- some more relevant than others.
But that’s how search worked. It was a moment of learning, a small fact that you stumbled across while you were looking for a completely different query. Search was curiosity, and a culture of information exchange. And research meant spiralling into tens of open tabs across Google.
However, something was missing. Something that has users turning to AI overviews and ChatGPT- convenience.
We’re all crunched for time, patience, and obviously, attention in today’s fast-paced digital economy. They want solutions in the blink of an eye, but in digestible tidbits.
Why else do you think that the upcoming AI models are advertised as faster than the previous ones?
This is what OpenAI’s AI browser, Atlast, is designed for.
First, ChatGPT transformed how we think of and create content. And now, the AI giant has put us in a perplexity- what does it really mean to use the web?
Google’s Chrome is the heart of the web where our workflow, tools, and context bind together. And for decades, this industry leader has played its role fruitfully, helping us through years of research, productivity, and problem-solving.
But OpenAI is taking this a step further- towards creating a super-assistant. One that understands our world’s reality and helps us achieve our goals, from analyzing a document to wrapping up grocery purchases.
And it’s right where you are. You don’t need to leave a page or minimize a window to seek its help. It’ll be there with you with built-in memory. You can complete new tasks by drawing on past searches and conversations. For example, it can open tabs that you had open from a week ago to help you not miss out on anything.
ChatGPT’s Atlas can leverage past knowledge when you require it, known as browser memories.
While still on the sidelines, could AI become the official gateway to online search, one that moves beyond overviews and summaries? That’s how it seems.
Sam Altman called it a “rare, once-a-decade opportunity to rethink what a browser can be about and how to use one.” It could disrupt the online search industry, as it stands in direct opposition to the industry leader, savoring an expansive market share.
For now, Chrome’s success serves as a blueprint for Atlas. But a chatbot at the very place where the traditional URL in browsers existed will alter how we use the Internet.
