The Creator of ChatGPT is Reportedly Interested in Acquiring Google Chrome.

OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, has expressed interest in purchasing Google Chrome if the tech giant were compelled to sell it.

Nick Turley, an executive from OpenAI, shared this information while testifying for the US government in an ongoing antitrust case against Google. The US is pushing for Google to be split up, claiming it holds too much control over the online search market.

However, Google insists that Chrome is not for sale and has requested the dismissal of the antitrust lawsuit. According to analytics firm Similarweb, Chrome is used by about 64% of internet users, making it the most popular browser. In comparison, Apple’s Safari is used by 21%.

Turley was speaking during the trial in Washington DC, which is part of a broader series of cases from the US Department of Justice (DOJ) targeting the influence of major tech companies in areas like social media, search engines, and AI.

In previous rulings, courts determined that Google has a monopoly in online search and, more recently, an illegal monopoly in online advertising technology. Google has announced plans to appeal both decisions.

Lee-Anne Mulholland, Google’s head of regulatory affairs, argued in a blog post that the government’s proposed actions would negatively impact US consumers, the economy, and the nation’s technological leadership.

Google dominance

The current trial is exploring potential solutions to reduce Google’s dominance in online search, especially as the rise of generative AI tools like ChatGPT has expanded the market.

New AI models now search the internet to enhance results and minimize “hallucinations,” a common issue in chatbots since their popularity grew.

According to Mr. Turley’s testimony, OpenAI proposed a deal last year to integrate Google search results into ChatGPT. However, the offer was turned down.

“We have no partnership with Google today,” Turley stated, as reported by Reuters.

OpenAI does have a partnership with Microsoft, which operates the Bing search engine and Edge browser.

In contrast, Google offers its own generative AI products, including Gemini, which directly competes with ChatGPT.

The trial is anticipated to last three weeks, with other major tech companies such as Meta, Amazon, and Apple closely monitoring the proceedings, as they too are facing antitrust lawsuits from the DOJ.

In a separate development, recent reports suggest OpenAI is exploring the creation of its own social network. According to The Verge, the project is still in its early stages, but the company and its CEO Sam Altman have privately sought feedback on a potential competitor to X.

Altman and X CEO Elon Musk were once business partners until a public dispute over the future direction of OpenAI. X has since integrated its own AI tool, Grok, into its platform.