OpenAI Open to Buying Chrome if Regulators Force Google to Sell

OpenAI would consider acquiring Google’s Chrome browser if U.S. antitrust regulators succeed in forcing the tech giant to divest the popular product, according to testimony from OpenAI’s Head of Product for ChatGPT, Nick Turley.

Turley made the statement during his testimony at Google’s ongoing antitrust trial in Washington, D.C., where the U.S. Department of Justice is pushing for sweeping measures to restore competition in online search.

Last year, the presiding judge ruled that Google holds a monopoly in online search and associated advertising.

Although Google has not offered Chrome for sale and plans to appeal the monopoly ruling, the topic arose in court as part of broader discussions around competition in search.

Turley also revealed that OpenAI previously approached Google to request access to its search API, citing the desire to improve ChatGPT’s ability to deliver accurate, real-time information.

At the time, OpenAI had faced challenges with its existing search provider—though Turley did not name the company, ChatGPT currently integrates with Microsoft Bing.

Recently, Aravind Srinivas, CEO of Perplexity AI also shared his opinion on social media. He argued against splitting Chrome from Google, emphasising Google’s contribution in open-sourcing Chromium—used by browsers like Microsoft Edge and Perplexity’s own Comet.

"Google should not be broken up. Chrome should remain within and continue to be run by Google," he said.

He asserted that no other company could maintain Chrome’s scale or quality while keeping it free for users.

Srinivas advocated for more consumer choice within Android. He called for loosening the integration of default Google apps like Search and Maps, allowing OEMs to offer alternatives without risking access to critical services like the Play Store.

"If a phone maker wants to include any of Google's apps like Google Maps or the Play Store, they're required to include all of them. They also have to preload Google Search and Google Assistant as required defaults and limit alternatives for their users," the company said in a blog post.