ChatGPT Atlas is a new AI-powered web browser developed by OpenAI. However, what’s striking is that it uses Chromium, Google’s platform, instead of its own proprietary engine.

Built on Chromium

Atlas doesn’t just come with new features. The underlying technology is also quite familiar. This browser, available for Mac OS users, uses the same architecture as Google Chrome, like many Chromium-based browsers. This largely preserves the menu structure, extension support, and parameters users are familiar with. Atlas also supports Chrome extensions.

The browser’s most significant feature is its integrated AI support. Users can access ChatGPT directly from a sidebar or right-click menu while browsing a web page. For example, users can be presented with commands based on their previous browsing history, such as “Can you open the shoes I was looking at yesterday?” This system, known as browser memories, learns important content from users’ browsing experiences, making chats more personalized.

Although Atlas boasts various AI features, it can’t compete with Google because it uses Google’s platform. In fact, far from being a competitor, it constantly provides data to the Google ecosystem.

Currently, ChatGPT Atlas is only available for Mac users. There is no publicly available information about a Windows version. OpenAI’s support pages clearly state that the browser is a Chromium-based Mac browser. This raises expectations for its future expansion to other operating systems.

Atlas leverages the advantages of the Chromium infrastructure to enable Chrome extensions. Bookmarks can be imported and exported, and passwords and passkeys can be managed. The menus largely overlap with the terminology used in Chromium. However, some labels and functions developed by OpenAI may differ in the user experience.