Who are AI browsers for? | TechCrunch

"For one thing, Sean noted many companies have tried and ultimately failed to unseat the major browsers due to their inability to make money on the browser alone. Of course, that's less likely to be a problem for OpenAI, with its increasingly massive funding rounds. Max, meanwhile, has actually tried out Atlas and other browsers that promise AI agents will do the work for you, and he said there's a "slight efficiency gain" at best."

"Anthony: I'm still on Safari, but as far as the search engine, which is tied to browsers, I've actually been trying to experiment with non-Google [options,] because I'm just tired of seeing all the genAI stuff at the top of my search results. I think also there's this question of: If these AI browsers take off, what does that mean for the idea of the open web in general?"

OpenAI launched ChatGPT Atlas, an AI-powered web browser that uses agentic features to assist browsing. Major browsers remain dominant because companies struggle to monetize browsers alone, a challenge less pressing for well-funded firms. Early trials of AI browsers show only slight efficiency improvements, with some experiences reduced to watching agents click through websites. Security risks accompany agentic browsing. Users are experimenting with non-Google search options to avoid generative AI search results. Widespread adoption of AI-controlled browsing could reduce the centrality of individual websites and reshape the open web and how information is accessed.

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