- This topic has 0 replies, 1 voice, and was last updated 3 weeks, 2 days ago by
.
-
The remedy phase of Google’s antitrust trial is underway, with the government angling to realign Google’s business after the company was ruled a search monopolist. The Department of Justice is seeking a plethora of penalties, but perhaps none as severe as forcing Google to sell Chrome. But who would buy it? An OpenAI executive says his employer would be interested.
Among the DOJ’s witnesses on the second day of the trial was Nick Turley, head of product for ChatGPT at OpenAI. He wasn’t there to talk about Chrome exclusively—the government’s proposed remedies also include forcing Google to share its search index with competitors.
OpenAI is in bed with Microsoft, but Bing’s search data wasn’t cutting it, Turley suggested (without naming Microsoft). “We believe having multiple partners, and in particular Google’s API, would enable us to provide a better product to users,” OpenAI told Google in an email revealed at trial. However, Google turned OpenAI down because it believed the deal would harm its lead in search. The companies have no ongoing partnership today, but Turley noted that forcing Google to license its search data would restore competition.
And then there’s Chrome. While Judge Amit Mehta has expressed some skepticism about the DOJ’s proposal to divest Chrome, the government claims the browser is core to Google’s anticompetitive conduct. Further, the DOJ team believes that selling Chrome would level the online playing field, but it has not been clear who would buy the browser.
According to Turley, OpenAI would throw its proverbial hat in the ring if Google had to sell. When asked if OpenAI would want Chrome, he was unequivocal. “Yes, we would, as would many other parties,” Turley said.
OpenAI has reportedly considered building its own Chromium-based browser to compete with Chrome. Several months ago, the company hired former Google developers Ben Goodger and Darin Fisher, both of whom worked to bring Chrome to market.
It’s not hard to see why OpenAI might want a browser, particularly Chrome with its 4 billion users and 67 percent market share. Chrome would instantly give OpenAI a massive install base of users who have been incentivized to use Google services. If OpenAI were running the show, you can bet ChatGPT would be integrated throughout the experience—Turley said as much, predicting an “AI-first” experience. The user data flowing to the owner of Chrome could also be invaluable in training agentic AI models that can operate browsers on the user’s behalf.
Interestingly, there’s so much discussion about who should buy Chrome, but relatively little about spinning off Chrome into an independent company. Google has contended that Chrome can’t survive on its own. However, the existence of Google’s multibillion-dollar search placement deals, which the DOJ wants to end, suggests otherwise. Regardless, if Google has to sell, and OpenAI has the cash, we might get the proposed “AI-first” browsing experience.
Quoted from:
https://alienskills.com/contents/OpenAIwantstobuyChro_1745439346548.html
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.