The big picture: If Google really is forced to sell Chrome – as proposed by the DOJ after the company was ruled a monopoly in its antitrust trial – OpenAI could emerge as a potential buyer. The ChatGPT maker has admitted it's interested in acquiring the world's most popular browser and turning it into an "AI-first" experience.
Following Judge Amit Mehta's ruling that Google was a monopolist in online search last year, the Justice Department pushed for the immediate sale of Chrome. The remedies phase of the trial began this week in Washington.
Nick Turley, head of product for ChatGPT at OpenAI, was one of the DOJ's witnesses on Tuesday. He testified that OpenAI had contacted Google last year about a partnership that would improve ChatGPT. The chatbot already uses Bing's search data, but Turley mentioned there had been "significant quality issues" with a company referred to as "Provider No. 1," which was likely a reference to Bing.
"We believe having multiple partners, and in particular Google's API, would enable us to provide a better product to users," OpenAI told Google in an email that was revealed during the trial.
Google turned down the offer as it believed the deal could harm the company's lead in search. Turley added that OpenAI doesn't have any partnership with Google today.
Turley was also asked if OpenAI would be interested in purchasing Chrome if Google is forced to sell its browser. "Yes, we would, as would many other parties," he replied.
In November 2024, reports claimed OpenAI was considering releasing a Chromium-based web browser with ChatGPT integration that could compete with Chrome. The company hired two key Chrome developers last year, Ben Goodger and Darin Fisher, founding members of the Chrome team.
Chrome has dominated the global browser market since its user share passed Internet Explorer in 2012. Today, it has a 66% overall share and 4 billion users. Second-place Safari has an 18% share.
If OpenAI were to buy Chrome, Turley predicted that it would become an "AI-first" experience. That means tight integration with ChatGPT and other OpenAI products, while data from those billions of users could be used to train its AI systems.
Another judge this month ruled that Google built and maintained an illegal monopoly in key segments of the online display advertising industry. The decision could lead to the government breaking up Google's advertising operations.
