OpenAI has signalled its intention to buy Google’s Chrome web browser and turn it into an “AI-first experience” for users.
In a court hearing on Tuesday, OpenAI’s ChatGPT chief said his company would be among the potential bidders for Chrome if the US Department of Justice forces Google to sell the browser.
Google is accused of holding a monopoly in online search and may have to spin out Chrome as part of an antitrust ruling.
Nick Turley, ChatGPT’s head of product, said that OpenAI could offer users a “really incredible experience” if ChatGPT was integrated into Chrome, according to Bloomberg.
He added that OpenAI would “have the ability to introduce users into what an AI-first experience looks like”.
Mr Turley was appearing as a witness in a three-week remedy hearing in Washington, which will determine how Google is penalised for operating an illegal monopoly in search.
It follows a landmark decision by US District Judge Amit Mehta in 2024 that ruled Google had made anti-competitive deals to make Chrome the primary gateway to the web on the iPhone, laptops and devices running the company’s Android software.
There are an estimated 3.5 billion people around the world who use Chrome as their primary browser, according to web analytics firm StatCounter. Google’s browser market share in the US in March 2025 stood at 53 per cent – down from 57 per cent in 2024.
If the latest hearing results in a court order for Google to sell its popular web browser, it will be the first time since the 1980s that a court has ordered a major US company to split up its business.
Google said it plans to appeal the 2024 ruling that determined it held a monopoly, though will need to wait for the ongoing remedy hearing to reach its conclusion in May.
