OpenAI is closing down Atlas, the AI-powered web browser it launched in October with ChatGPT at its heart, but it is not abandoning the wider goal of using AI to help people browse the web. Rather than maintaining a standalone browser, the company is redistributing the agentic browsing features it trialled in Atlas across ChatGPT's desktop app and a new Google Chrome extension. The shift reflects a conclusion that the browser is a feature rather than a destination, and marks a notable retreat in the industry-wide race to displace Chrome as the primary place people spend time online.

The closure follows a directive from OpenAI's CEO of applications, Fidji Simo, for the team to cut back on "side quests" — guidance that had already led to the shuttering of the AI video tool Sora. The new Chrome extension gives ChatGPT access to the context of the page being viewed, letting users ask questions, summarise content or launch longer tasks, positioning it as a direct rival to Google's Gemini Side Panel. OpenAI is also strengthening its desktop app with a more capable built-in browser for logging into accounts, downloading files and interacting with pages, plus a separate cloud browser running on OpenAI's servers so agents can complete tasks on a user's behalf. The moves come amid competition from Perplexity's Comet, The Browser Company's Dia, and AI updates to Chrome and Edge.