OpenAI is interested in acquiring Chrome if Google is forced to sell it

OpenAI has expressed its interest in acquiring the Chrome browser if Google is forced to sell it, following an antitrust lawsuit against the company.

Nick Turley, product manager at OpenAI, stated during a hearing in Washington, D.C., that the startup is ready to consider the purchase of the world’s most popular browser, in case the court decides on that measure as part of the sanctions against Google.

Judge Amit Mehta is the one who will determine the actions to be taken against Google, after a previous ruling found that the company maintained an illegal monopoly in the field of online searches.

The judge’s decision could force Google to sell Chrome to OpenAI

The lawyers for the United States government have requested that Google be forced to sell its Chrome browser, arguing that artificial intelligence could further increase its dominance in the internet search sector.

Google’s response has been vigorous, claiming that the Department of Justice (DOJ) proposal is excessive and beyond the scope of the case. According to Kent Walker, Google’s president of global affairs, the DOJ’s interventionist agenda could harm citizens and compromise the United States’ technological leadership on the global stage.

A Bloomberg analyst has estimated that the sales value of Chrome could exceed 15 billion dollars, a significant number given that the browser has more than 3 billion users.

During his testimony, Turley also mentioned that OpenAI had attempted to integrate its search technology into ChatGPT, but it was rejected by Google, reflecting the competitive tensions in the development of artificial intelligence in the tech sector.

The DOJ’s case against Google for its dominance in online searches was filed in 2020 and, following the decision in August 2024 against Google, the company has appealed.