Since algorithmic AI has entered into the public consciousness, it has found its way into multiple facets of our daily lives. Many web developers have cut deals with OpenAI to add ChatGPT integration into their systems, or have otherwise attempted to create their own algorithmic AI from scratch. Rather than continue cutting these deals or let other developers eat its lunch, OpenAI has apparently decided it’s high time to cut out the middle man and deliver ChatGPT directly to users via its own browser.
In a press release today, OpenAI announced the release of ChatGPT Atlas, a wholly AI-based web browser. As opposed to previous efforts of integrating search functionality into the existing ChatGPT framework, Atlas is a browser that has ChatGPT baked into the very core of its being, using the system to introduce various services and functions into your average web browsing habits. As of launch, ChatGPT Atlas is only available to download and use on macOS, though it is planned for release on Windows, iOS, and Android at an indeterminate future point in the development roadmap.
ChatGPT is accessible from anywhere in Atlas
With the Atlas browser, you no longer need to have a dedicated tab open in order to use ChatGPT. Instead, there’s an integrated sidebar you can call up if you want to ask ChatGPT a question, summarize content in your current browser window, provide writing suggestions, analyze data, and other similar functions. You can customize the settings on your ChatGPT sidebar so it will either remember or forget what you want it to from previous sessions. For instance, if you were looking up holiday decorations in a session the week prior, it can call up those same tabs or new tabs with relevant info.
The preview build of Atlas available for Plus, Pro, and Business accounts also comes with a new feature called Agent mode, which OpenAI originally announced earlier this year. In addition to offering answers and info, Agent mode can actually take actions on your behalf, such as ordering groceries for a cooking recipe or compiling information into a brief for work.
OpenAI has clarified that, unless you choose to opt-in, any content you browse on Atlas will not be used to train its AI models. Additionally, you can disable ChatGPT’s memory functions and browse in incognito mode to temporarily log out of ChatGPT.
