OpenAI Considers Google Chrome Acquisition

OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, has expressed potential interest in acquiring Chrome—currently the most widely used browser globally—should a situation arise where Google is compelled to sell it.

During a monopoly trial involving Google, OpenAI executive Nick Turley appeared in court representing the interests of the US government.

The US government is pushing for the dismantling of Google’s operations, claiming the tech powerhouse holds excessive control over the search engine space.

In response, Google has firmly stated that Chrome is not available for purchase and has urged the court to dismiss the antitrust case entirely.

Data from analytics firm Similarweb indicates that Chrome holds about 64% of the global browser market.

Trailing behind is Apple’s Safari, with approximately 21% user share.

Mr. Turley gave his testimony in Washington DC, where the case is being heard. This is one among several legal actions initiated by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) targeting tech giants with significant influence in areas like AI, internet searches, and social media.

In a ruling last year, the court determined that Google maintained a monopoly in the online search sector. Just recently, another judgment found the company guilty of holding an unlawful monopoly in digital advertising technology.

Google intends to challenge both rulings through the appeals process.

Lee-Anne Mulholland, who oversees regulatory issues at Google, stated in a blog post that the government’s strategies “would hurt America’s consumers, economy, and technological leadership”.

Addressing Google’s Market Power

The current proceedings aim to explore ways of limiting Google’s overwhelming presence in online search, especially at a time when the growth of generative AI tools like ChatGPT is reshaping the landscape.

These advanced AI tools now incorporate internet search capabilities to enhance accuracy and minimize false outputs—a persistent issue since the rise of chatbot technologies.

Mr. Turley also mentioned during his testimony that OpenAI had approached Google last year with a proposal to include Google search data in ChatGPT.

However, the proposal did not lead to any agreement.

“We have no partnership with Google today,” Mr Turley said.

OpenAI currently collaborates with Microsoft, the company behind Bing and the Edge browser.

At the same time, Google has rolled out its own generative AI services, including Gemini, which directly competes with ChatGPT.

The ongoing trial is scheduled to run for three weeks. Other leading tech firms such as Meta, Amazon, and Apple are expected to monitor the outcome closely, as they too face legal scrutiny from the DOJ over monopolistic practices.

In other developments, recent reports suggest OpenAI may be exploring the creation of a new social media platform.

The Verge stated the idea is “still in early stages,” though OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has reportedly been gathering private feedback regarding a potential alternative to X.

Sam Altman, who leads OpenAI, and Elon Musk, the CEO of X, were once collaborators but had a serious disagreement that led to the end of their professional relationship.

X now features its own generative AI system called Grok, which has been embedded into the platform.