Court hearing on the future of Google: OpenAI would buy Chrome

OpenAI would try to buy Chrome if Google is actually forced by a US court to give up the world's most popular browser by far. This is what the manager of the AI company responsible for ChatGPT testified in court on Tuesday, reports Bloomberg. OpenAI's product manager Nick Turley was summoned as a government witness. The trial is about what changes the Google group Alphabet will have to make after it was ruled to have a monopoly on the internet search market. The US government wants to achieve a spin-off of Chrome. According to Turley, many others are also interested in this.

OpenAI is concerned about access to customers

If OpenAI were to take over Chrome and integrate ChatGPT directly into the browser, “they could offer a truly incredible experience”, the US financial magazine quotes Turley's statement. Users could then be introduced to what it looks like when a product is designed by AI. Meanwhile, OpenAI could solve a key problem, as one of the company's biggest difficulties currently is distributing its AI. While there is a contract with Apple to bring ChatGPT to iPhones, nothing comparable has been negotiated for Android. No progress was made with Samsung because Google has significantly more money and wants to spread its AI.

He is very concerned that “we will be excluded by some larger companies on the market – such as Google –” Turley said. Some powerful competitors would control the access points through which people discover new products, such as those from OpenAI. These are browsers and app stores, in Google's case including the Android Play Store. Only the right choice would strengthen competition and “users should be able to decide”. ChatGPT is currently only available as an application under Windows or macOS, as an app and as a Chrome extension that changes the default search. If OpenAI were to buy Chrome, the AI technology could be integrated much more deeply into the browser.

Negotiating the future of the most popular browser

Chrome is by far the most widely used browser in the world. Because Google's internet search is set as the default, countless search queries are directed to Google. And Google's advertising business with the ads surrounding the search hits also develops via the search. The US Department of Justice does not like this self-preferential treatment, and last year it was able to convince a court to demand a spin-off. However, the actual consequences of the ruling are now being negotiated. However, it can be assumed that the decision, which is expected in a few weeks, will be appealed by the losing side. It is therefore likely to be years before it is finalized.

Should Google really be forced to give up Chrome, the US company has already warned that this would have “extraordinarily” serious consequences. According to Google, this would also have nothing to do with the conduct classified as anti-competitive. The ruling does not even mention that the monopoly position was obtained illegally – but only that an attempt was made to protect it unlawfully. The Internet company has offered to grant browser providers more flexibility in search engine agreements in the future. The company rejects further measures, arguing that this would only drive people to competing search engines that are demonstrably weaker.

(mho)