OpenAI released the AI browser ChatGPT Atlas, causing Google's stock price to decline accordingly.
On October 21 local time, OpenAI officially launched its first AI-powered web browser, ChatGPT Atlas, directly challenging Google's core business. Affected by this news, the stock price of Google's parent company, Alphabet, tumbled during the day's trading. The intraday decline once widened to nearly 5%, hitting a low of $245, and finally closed down 2.21%. The trading volume was 30% higher than the previous trading day.
Google's stock price performance
ChatGPT Atlas is OpenAI's first foray into the core internet entry track with an independent browser product. Its core innovation lies in the deep integration of ChatGPT's intelligence capabilities with browsing scenarios, reconstructing the interaction logic of traditional browsers.
Currently, ChatGPT Atlas has been launched on the macOS platform, and Windows, iOS, and Android versions are planned to be released later. Users can log in with their ChatGPT accounts and import Chrome bookmarks, passwords, and browsing history with one click, greatly reducing the migration cost.
ChatGPT Atlas interface
ChatGPT Atlas is not simply an AI function added to a traditional browser but deeply integrates ChatGPT into the entire browsing process. Based on the Chromium kernel, the browser retains traditional designs such as tabs and bookmarks and forms a differentiated competitive edge through three core functions: "Chat on the Go", "Browser Memory", and "Agent Mode". Users can access ChatGPT at any time through the permanent sidebar without switching pages, instantly generating summaries when browsing news and automatically comparing parameters when viewing product pages. In addition, users can also select email text through the "Cursor Chat" function and directly instruct the AI to polish it, seamlessly replacing the previous cumbersome copy - paste process.
The biggest highlight of ChatGPT Atlas is its "Agent Mode". After obtaining user authorization, the browser can autonomously perform multi - step network operations based on browsing history and query intentions. From automatically clicking to close pop - up windows to filling out application forms, booking flights, and synchronously generating itineraries, the AI will pop up a window in real - time to explain the thinking and execution process, and key steps require user confirmation before proceeding.
According to StatCounter data for September 2025, Chrome holds 71.86% of the global market share and is the absolute dominant player in the global browser market, supporting Google's annual advertising revenue of hundreds of billions of dollars. In the second quarter of 2025, Google's advertising revenue reached $71.34 billion, accounting for 86% of its total revenue.
The emergence of ChatGPT Atlas has also intensified the competition in the AI browser market. On the one hand, Google Chrome's built - in Gemini large model has built a strong barrier. This year, it has successively launched functions such as web page interpretation and information extraction and is accelerating the pursuit of task automation capabilities. On the other hand, there are also new players in the AI browser market, such as Perplexity's Comet, which focuses on AI search summary functions but still shows deficiencies in complex task execution; products like Opera's Neon have re - positioned themselves by embedding AI functions but have not yet formed a large - scale influence.
Compared with these competitors, ChatGPT Atlas' core advantage lies in the deep binding of ChatGPT's generative ability and "execution attributes", and its user base of 800 million is a natural conversion pool. Analysts believe that OpenAI's launch of ChatGPT Atlas may weaken Chrome's long - term advantage and mark a new stage of competition for AI agents on the web.
This article is from "Jiemian News", author: Li Kefeng. Republished by 36Kr with permission.