OpenAI could buy Chrome if court orders Google to sell, says executive

Nick Turley, ChatGPT’s head of product, says OpenAI would consider acquiring Google’s Chrome browser if antitrust regulators compel Alphabet, its parent company, to divest the platform.

Turley spoke on Tuesday while testifying at Google’s ongoing antitrust trial in Washington, United States.

The case, filed by the US department of justice (DoJ), seeks to curb Google’s dominance in online search and advertising, which a judge previously ruled constituted a monopoly.

Although Google has not made Chrome available for sale, prosecutors argue that the browser is a critical gateway to its search engine.

During the hearing, Turley revealed that OpenAI had reached out to Google to request access to its search technology after running into difficulties with its existing search provider.

He added that the request was turned down in August 2024.

“We believe having multiple partners, and in particular Google’s API, would enable us to provide a better product to users,” Turley said, citing an internal email shared in court.

The executive confirmed that ChatGPT currently relies on Microsoft’s Bing for search capabilities.

He added that the DoJ’s proposal for Google to share search data with rivals would enhance ChatGPT’s ability to provide accurate and up-to-date responses to user queries.

Turley also said OpenAI is “years away” from developing an in-house search system that could handle the majority of user queries without third-party support.