OpenAI’s ChatGPT Atlas: Inside the AI-Powered Web Browser – AI Magazine
The competition to embed AI into everyday software is intensifying as tech companies push beyond standalone chatbots into the tools people use most.
OpenAI has now released Atlas, a web browser with its conversational AI baked directly into the software.
The product goes live on macOS for Free, Plus, Pro and Go users, with Windows, iOS and Android versions coming later.
Rather than forcing users to juggle multiple windows and copy-paste between tabs, Atlas brings ChatGPT into the browser itself.
The company says “AI gives us a rare moment to rethink what it means to use the web.”
The browser taps into ChatGPT’s memory features, pulling from previous conversations to inform new responses.
It also introduces what OpenAI calls “browser memories”, which store context from sites you visit.
OpenAI says this means “you can ask ChatGPT questions like: ‘Find all the job postings I was looking at last week and create a summary of industry trends so I can prepare for interviews.’”
Yogya Kalra, a college student who tested Atlas early, says the integration changes how she studies: “During lectures, I like using practice questions and real-world examples to really understand the material,” she says.
“I used to switch between my slides and ChatGPT, taking screenshots just to ask a question. Now ChatGPT instantly understands what I’m looking at, helping me improve my knowledge checks as I go.”
The standout feature is agent mode, which lets ChatGPT open tabs and interact with websites autonomously.
Available in preview for Plus, Pro and Business subscribers, OpenAI says it’s “now better at researching and analysing, automating tasks and planning events or booking appointments while you browse.”
Planning a dinner party? The company gives an example: “You can give the recipe to ChatGPT and ask it to find a grocery store, add all the ingredients to a cart and order them to your house.”
At work, OpenAI says “you can ask ChatGPT to open and read through past team documents, perform new competitive research – and compile insights into a team brief.”
But OpenAI isn’t giving the agent free rein.
It cannot run code in browsers, download files or install extensions. It also cannot access other applications or file systems. When it encounters sensitive sites like financial institutions, it pauses to ensure users watch its actions.
The company is frank about the risks, saying: “agents are susceptible to hidden malicious instructions, which may be hidden in places such as a webpage or email with the intention that the instructions override ChatGPT agent’s intended behaviour.”
This could lead to data theft or unintended actions. OpenAI has conducted thousands of hours of security testing but admits “our safeguards will not stop every attack that emerges as AI agents grow in popularity.”
Browser memories are optional.
Users can view or archive them anytime in settings, and OpenAI says “deleting browsing history deletes any associated browser memories.”
The company doesn’t train its models on browsing content by default, though users can opt in. A toggle in the address bar lets users control which websites ChatGPT can view.
Parental controls from ChatGPT accounts carry over to Atlas, with new browser-specific options for parents.
Looking ahead, OpenAI’s roadmap includes multi-profile support, improved developer tools and ways for Apps SDK developers to increase visibility in the browser.
“This launch marks a step toward a future where most web use happens through agentic systems – where you can delegate the routine and stay focused on what matters most,” the company states.
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