OpenAI's head of product for ChatGPT has flung the company's hat into the ring as a potential suitor for Google's Chrome browser should the search giant be forced to divest itself of the application.

Nick Turley was called to testify during a trial to determine the fate of Google following allegations of anti-competitive behavior. In answer to a question regarding whether OpenAI would be interested in picking up the browser, Turley [1]reportedly said: "Yes, we would."

Chrome is the most popular browser in the world by a considerable margin. As of March 2025, its [2]desktop market share was almost 66 percent. Second placed was Microsoft's Edge at 13.35 percent.

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In 2024, the US Department of Justice [4]proposed that Google sell off the browser as part of a remedy to curb it's alleged monopolistic practices. Proposals also included prohibiting Google from paying to make its search engine the default for third parties, such as Mozilla.

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The focus of the discussion was the possible divestiture of Chrome. While it is possible to drop OpenAI's chatbot, ChatGPT, into Chrome via an add-in, deeper integration would increase the tech's omnipresence. "You could offer a really incredible experience," Turley said. Users would get an introduction "into what an AI-first experience looks like."

[7]India gets Google to unbundle Android and the Play Store on Smart TVs

[8]RIP, Google Privacy Sandbox

[9]Google wins 1-1: Judge rules ad giant broke some antitrust law

[10]Competition boffin launches class action against Google UK over search dominance

Arguably, a user could also fire up Microsoft Edge and hit the Copilot button if they wanted to know what an AI might do to their browsing experience.

Turley told the court that OpenAI has struggled when it came to distribution. While ChatGPT made it onto the iPhone through a deal, Android has been tougher to crack – partly due to Google's alleged ability to outspend rivals to promote Gemini as the premier AI assistant on its platform.

Turley acknowledged there would be no shortage of potential buyers if Google were forced to offload Chrome. In addition to the "incredible experience" in store for users, OpenAI would benefit from integration. The company's [11]weekly active user count exceeded 400 million in February 2025, but Chrome has at least three billion users, many of whom are already accustomed to the sometimes [12]dubious search summaries served by Google's Gemini AI.

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What tech company wouldn't want a slice of that? ®

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[1] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-04-22/openai-would-buy-google-s-chrome-browser-chatgpt-chief-says

[2] https://gs.statcounter.com/browser-market-share/desktop/

[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aAljDF6-MsYpXT5Ifr3BPwAAAYo&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0

[4] https://www.theregister.com/2024/11/21/usa_vs_google_full_filing/

[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aAljDF6-MsYpXT5Ifr3BPwAAAYo&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0

[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aAljDF6-MsYpXT5Ifr3BPwAAAYo&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0

[7] https://www.theregister.com/2025/04/23/india_google_antitrust_android_unbundling/

[8] https://www.theregister.com/2025/04/22/google_privacy_sandbox/

[9] https://www.theregister.com/2025/04/17/judge_rules_google_publisher_ad/

[10] https://www.theregister.com/2025/04/17/google_faces_uk_class_action/

[11] https://www.reuters.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/openais-weekly-active-users-surpass-400-million-2025-02-20/

[12] https://www.theregister.com/2024/05/31/google_ai_search_update/

[13] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/aiml&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aAljDF6-MsYpXT5Ifr3BPwAAAYo&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0

[14] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/