OpenAI unveiled, on October 21, 2025, Atlas, a ChatGPT browser with AI at the heart of the pages. Available now on macOS, the tool promises summaries, rewrites, and actions driven in ‘agent mode’, with safeguards. The goal is to simplify navigation and compete with industry giants. Here’s what this launch changes, where to install it, and how to take advantage of it.
What we know about the launch
OpenAI unveils ChatGPT Atlas, a browser designed to integrate ChatGPT at the heart of navigation. The tool combines a smart sidebar, page analysis and synthesis, and contextual responses without changing tabs. The publisher announces a global rollout, macOS first, with Windows, iOS, and Android announced "soon." The official page links to chatgpt.com/atlas, with direct download and description of key features.
Announcement: October 21–22, 2025. macOS availability is immediate, other platforms will follow. OpenAI highlights the ambition to "rethink the browser" and offer an alternative to Chrome, Edge, and Firefox.
An AI-supported browsing experience
Atlas combines two web gestures: entering a URL or asking a question. The ‘Ask ChatGPT’ sidebar remains accessible on every page: the user can request a summary, a comparison, sources to consult, or rewrite a passage in context. The tabs remain classic; the originality lies in in-page editing (selection → reformulation) and anchored responses in the open page.
OpenAI claims about 800 million weekly users for ChatGPT, a base that offers a pool of adoption for Atlas. The goal: bring the assistant to the center of navigation and shorten journeys (reading, shopping, booking).
‘Agent mode’: automation under control
A flagship feature, Agent mode appears in preview. In practice, the AI can click, fill out forms, open tabs, and chain actions: book a ticket, buy a product, edit a shared text, or compile information for a report. All this is done with checkpoints: the user approves each sensitive step, and safeguards block banking or deemed risky pages. Activation is done from the sidebar, and the sequence can be interrupted at any time.
Ten typical scenarios illustrate the interest: search and booking (trains, flights), filling out administrative forms, price comparisons with feature capture, turning a table into a memo ready to share, tracking applications via updated tables, customer service (writing a message, collecting case numbers), developing a travel itinerary, sector monitoring (alerts and summaries), summarizing legal decisions in plain language, assembling a shopping cart from multiple stores.
The limits and risks remain real, as there are factual errors. Additionally, misinterpretation of a page can occur. Furthermore, dependence on connection is an issue. Moreover, there is little local AI. Finally, the costs associated with subscriptions for certain advanced features must be considered. Hence the interest in checkpoints and a consultable action log.
Memories, private browsing, and data settings
Atlas introduces an optional browsing memory. The tool retains contexts, preferences, and summaries useful for speeding up repetitive tasks. It is possible to purge this memory and disable page visibility site by site. Additionally, one can use private browsing and unsubscribe their data from any model training. This is done without explicit consent. OpenAI claims by default the non-use of browsing data for training, except for voluntary opt-in. Data Controls offer erasure and fine-tuning settings.
For GDPR-friendly use, the essentials are played out at installation:
- Refuse opt-in for training if unnecessary and limit memories to the bare minimum.
- Regularly clean history and memories.
- Disable page visibility on sensitive sites.
- Favor private browsing for processes containing personal data.
A technical foundation and compatibilities to clarify
The specialized press mentions a Chromium foundation and compatibility with browser extensions (Chrome Web Store). Point to confirm officially: OpenAI has not communicated in detail about the architecture and the extent of supported extensions. However, Atlas offers an import of favorites and data from other browsers, facilitating migration.
Quick comparison: Atlas vs. Chrome, Edge, Arc, Opera, and Perplexity
- Chrome (Google): integrates Gemini in the Omnibox and its Chrome extensions, as well as in-page assistance features. Strengths: massive extension ecosystem, performance, and multi-device sync. Atlas stands out with a native AI integration centered on the page and a controllable Agent mode.
- Edge (Microsoft): Copilot in the sidebar and summary features. Advantage: Windows integration and professional tools. Atlas focuses on a cross-experience and explicit consent rules.
- Arc/The Browser Company: innovative UX, spaces, and automations. Atlas adopts the idea of an always-there assistant, with anchored responses.
- Perplexity (Comet): browser/AI oriented towards search and synthesis. Atlas aims for broader automation (forms, purchases) and a customizable memory.
Beyond comparisons, the challenge is twofold: capturing usage and redirecting traffic. The goal is to keep the user within the OpenAI ecosystem and reduce back-and-forth to traditional engines.
Public policy and sovereignty issues
The launch of Atlas is part of a battle for web access dominated by US players. For public authorities (France, EU), four issues stand out:
- Competition: the arrival of a new browser can rebalance market shares or strengthen a vertical integration AI-browser. To watch: ecosystem lock-in and interoperability.
- GDPR: legal basis of the memory, granularity of consent, data minimization, and transfers outside the EU. Companies will need to audit Memories and document their DPA.
- Digital sovereignty: dependence on an American player for information intermediation. Question: what guarantees of data localization and governance?
- Citizen impact: bias in summaries, source visibility, risk of informational bubbles. Anchored responses can help recontextualize, but require transparency on the highlighted sources.
Getting started: first steps on macOS
- Download Atlas from the official page, open the .dmg, drag the application into Applications.
- Import your favorites (Chrome/Edge/Safari/Brave) and check passwords via the used keychain.
- In Settings → Privacy & Data Controls, disable training, enable private browsing by default, adjust Memories.
- Open a news page and test Ask ChatGPT for a summary in context; try rewriting a selected paragraph.
- Launch Agent mode on a low-risk case (e.g., comparing flights without payment) to get familiar with checkpoints.
If extension compatibility is confirmed, the next step will be to install a tracker blocker. A tab manager and source verification tools will also be needed. At this stage, this remains to be confirmed officially.
What this changes for the market
Atlas disrupts the established order by putting AI at the forefront in the browser. For OpenAI, it’s a way to consolidate its ecosystem including Free, Plus, Pro, and Business offerings. Additionally, it allows directing part of the usage – and thus traffic – towards its own interfaces. For Google and Microsoft, the signal is clear: the address bar becomes a dialogue field where AI guides reading and automates action. The coming months will reveal if the Agent mode remains a complement. Otherwise, it could become the main driver of routine tasks.
Points of vigilance and best practices
- Systematically check checkpoints before any engaging action (purchase, signature, sending).
- Blacklist sensitive pages (banking, health, taxation) in Agent mode settings.
- Trace actions taken by the Agent (log), useful in business for compliance.
- Train teams on error risks and critical reading of summaries.
- Regularly test the relevance of memories and purge what is no longer necessary.
In short
Atlas is a browser-assistant: it summarizes, rewrites, automates, and memorizes. Its launch on macOS opens a battle where the address bar is doubled with a dialogue bar. If the Agent mode lives up to its promises, the line between reading and action could blur. It remains to clarify the technical architecture (extensions) and to consolidate privacy guarantees.