OpenAI's Head of Product for ChatGPT, Nick Turley, declared in court that the AI company would be interested in purchasing Google's Chrome browser if the tech giant was forced to sell it. The statement came during the remedies phase of Google's antitrust trial, where The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has called for Google to sell off its Chrome web browser as part of broader efforts to break up the tech giant's search monopoly.
During his testimony on Tuesday, Turley stated that OpenAI and "many other parties" would pursue acquiring Chrome if it became available. The browser, which currently holds a 67% market share with approximately 4 billion users, could provide OpenAI with a massive platform for implementing AI-driven features.
"We would have the ability to introduce users into what an AI-first experience looks like," Turley explained to the court. The potential acquisition could allow OpenAI to deeply integrate its ChatGPT technology throughout the browsing experience.
The discussion about Chrome's sale emerged as one of several remedies proposed by the Justice Department following Judge Amit Mehta's ruling last year that Google maintained a monopoly in online search. Google has announced plans to appeal the decision and argues that the proposed remedies would diminish product quality for consumers.
Turley's testimony also revealed that OpenAI had previously approached Google about a potential partnership to utilize Google's search technology. According to an email presented during the trial, OpenAI believed that "having multiple partners, and in particular Google's API, would enable us to provide a better product to users." However, Google declined the partnership opportunity.
OpenAI has recently hired former Google developers Ben Goodger and Darin Fisher, who were involved in Chrome's original development, suggesting the company's serious interest in browser technology. The acquisition, if realized, could provide OpenAI with valuable user data for training AI models and creating more sophisticated browser automation capabilities.
While the court considers various remedies, Google maintains that Chrome cannot survive as a standalone entity. However, the existence of substantial search placement deals suggests otherwise. The final decision on Chrome's fate remains pending as the remedies phase of the trial continues.