Today, OpenAI has elevated ChatGPT from being merely 'an app' to a full-fledged 'browser'.

The newly launched ChatGPT Atlas revolutionizes the browsing experience by incorporating a chat assistant at its heart. The sidebar seamlessly moves alongside the page, enabling real-time queries as you navigate. The 'Agent mode' can autonomously perform multi-step web operations, subject to user authorization.

At present, Atlas is initially accessible on macOS, with subsequent releases planned for Windows, iOS, and Android.

This transformation transcends mere product evolution; it represents a direct challenge to the conventional 'search-browse' model.

The innovative browser permits users to activate the ChatGPT sidebar on the right side of any webpage, instantly summarizing lengthy articles, comparing parameters, and extracting crucial points. Eliminating the need for tab-switching, Atlas streamlines the 'copy-paste-query' workflow into a simple 'see-ask' interaction.

The Agent mode, currently available for preview to Plus/Pro/Business paid subscribers, can retrieve travel plans tailored to budget and preferences, compare prices, fill out forms, organize shopping lists, and more, seamlessly executing a complete process from information gathering to page operations.

Atlas also incorporates a 'Browser memories' feature, which remembers user preferences at the local session level to enhance continuity. However, this function can be disabled or cleared, and it supports 'incognito window' one-click logout from ChatGPT.

Atlas aspires to transcend being merely a 'browser with chat' and instead aims to forge a continuous, Agent-driven closed loop encompassing 'information discovery-web browsing-decision making-action execution'.

In contrast to Google's deep integration of Gemini within the Chrome/Android ecosystem and Microsoft's incorporation of Copilot in Edge, Atlas's all-encompassing design of 'native conversation + Agent execution' is more groundbreaking: it focuses not on 'finding answers for web pages' but on 'accomplishing tasks for users'.

However, Agent automation still hinges on explicit user authorization and process supervision, necessitating manual review in high-risk scenarios such as payments, contracts, and healthcare.

Moreover, AI-generated summaries may introduce issues of information distortion and inadequate citation, with copyright and licensing concerns still requiring clarification.

In the long run, AI browsers may evolve into the 'operation layer' for individuals and teams, further eroding the distinctions between OS, applications, and web pages. Atlas's competitiveness hinges on three key factors:

Agent controllability

Privacy data management

Ecological cooperation

Atlas is not a 'shortcut' to instantly disrupt Chrome but rather marks a definitive starting point for a new era of competitive entry.

References:

https://chatgpt.com/zh-Hans-CN/atlas/