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| OpenAI targets Chrome if Google must sell |
A top OpenAI executive spoke at the antitrust trial this week in Washington, D.C. on April 22, 2025. He said OpenAI would buy Chrome if U.S. regulators forced Google to sell the browser.
The U.S. Justice Department sued Google last year for search market abuses and ad control. The trial explores how Google locked in its search lead using exclusive deals and contracts. Judge Amit Mehta found Google held a monopoly in search and related ad services.
Antitrust enforcers proposed spinning off Chrome or requiring Google to share its search index. OpenAI backed the spin-off remedy, saying it could restore fair choice for all users. Company leaders argue divestment can open space for new rivals and fresh ideas.
Chrome controls 61 percent of the U.S. browser market as of March 2025, per data. It reaches billions of devices on phones, tablets, and desktops worldwide.
OpenAI wants to embed ChatGPT deep inside the Chrome interface to guide search tasks. This could let users get AI help on any web page without leaving the browser. Executives see an AI-first browser as key to faster tasks and smarter results.
Many hope deeper AI can cut search time and bring context to complex queries. But rivals worry one AI firm owning Chrome may block fair chances for others. Critics say a new Chrome owner might steer data to favor its own products.
That risk raises fresh antitrust questions about data access and market fairness. Some legal experts doubt regulators will force Google to sell Chrome soon. They note Google plans to appeal last year’s ruling against its search monopoly.
Google has not offered Chrome for sale and sees no immediate divestiture plan. The company says it will defend its browser business in upcoming appeals.
Microsoft’s Edge and Apple’s Safari may gain users if Chrome sells off. That shift could give rivals room to build new AI features in their browsers. Some developers fear API changes could break thousands of Chrome extensions users rely on.
OpenAI might set new extension rules based on its own safety and privacy goals. Google makes billions from ads shown inside Chrome search and web pages. A sale to OpenAI could shift ad revenue streams from Google to the new owner.
Antitrust watchers say this case will set a key precedent for future tech deals. In Europe, digital market rules could force similar changes at other big tech firms. Regulators there may demand all browsers open their search data to partners.
If OpenAI buys Chrome, it might face new open data requirements in Europe. Analysts expect a drawn-out legal fight before any final browser sale happens. Courts may review the impact on user choice, privacy, and overall market health. Final rulings could arrive late in 2025 or early in 2026, experts say.
That timeline depends on appeals by Google and any moves by OpenAI’s board. OpenAI leaders consider Chrome a key step in scaling AI to everyday browsing. They say it would help expand AI use beyond ChatGPT tasks into web search. Privacy groups worry that combined user data in Chrome could reach unprecedented levels.
They call for strict safety rules and clear limits on data collection and use. OpenAI responded that it plans strong privacy controls and safe guardrails for Chrome users. Regulators will weigh those promises when deciding if a sale is in the public interest.
OpenAI’s move shows how AI firms aim to reshape core internet tools and services. The case marks a new chapter in the fight between AI innovators and Big Tech. Investors are watching closely as OpenAI and Google steer through complex legal issues. The tech world may look very different if OpenAI ends up owning Chrome.
That shift could redraw the rules on how AI and browsers work together. For now, the sale remains a hypothesis until regulators issue final orders. Readers can follow trial updates and judge rulings on public court records online.
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