OpenAI Eyes Chrome Takeover If Google Breaks Up: Shocker Revelation At US Antitrust Trial
OpenAI believed that integrating Google’s search API would significantly enhance ChatGPT's performance.
OpenAI revealed it would consider acquiring the Google Chrome browser — if regulators force the tech giant to spin it off. The revelation came from Nick Turley, head of product at ChatGPT, during his testimony in a Washington courtroom on Tuesday.
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has accused Google of maintaining a monopoly over online search and related advertising. The case could lead to dramatic structural remedies, including the potential sale of Chrome, Google’s widely used web browser.
OpenAI Wanted Google’s Search Muscle
Turley also disclosed that OpenAI had previously approached Google to license its search capabilities for use within ChatGPT. According to emails presented in court, OpenAI believed that integrating Google’s search API would significantly enhance ChatGPT's performance.
“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 its outreach.
The request, made in July, was turned down in August. Google reportedly declined due to concerns over enabling too many rivals. Turley testified, “We have no partnership with Google today.”
Currently, ChatGPT relies on Microsoft's Bing for real-time information. However, Turley admitted that ChatGPT’s ability to independently handle most user search queries is still years away.
Chrome Takeover? OpenAI Is Game
When asked about the DOJ’s proposed remedies to restore competition in online search, Turley noted that OpenAI would be interested in acquiring Chrome if it were made available.
While Google has not offered Chrome for sale, Turley’s testimony sparked speculation on how such a move could reshape the browser and search landscape. Google, meanwhile, has signaled plans to appeal the court’s finding that it holds a search monopoly.
Exclusive Deals In The Spotlight
The DOJ is also pushing back against Google's history of exclusive agreements, which the government argues locked out rival search engines. A document presented in court revealed that Google once contemplated extending these exclusivity deals to include not just its search engine but also its Gemini AI and Chrome browser.
But in recent deals with companies like Samsung, Motorola, AT&T, and Verizon, Google has loosened its grip, moving to non-exclusive arrangements that allow rivals some breathing room. These changes, Google argues, are sufficient remedies. The DOJ disagrees, urging the court to ban Google from making payments in exchange for search app pre-installations altogether.
Adding to the defense, Google executive Peter Fitzgerald testified that the company’s contracts do not prevent manufacturers from installing competing AI apps on devices — an assertion supported by letters sent to partners just last week.
As the trial unfolds, what’s at stake is not just who controls the present of online search — but who will shape its future.
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