OpenAI Hires Chrome Creator to Erase Google Search, One Tab at a Time

Darin Fisher, a key creator of Google Chrome and former Google VP of Engineering, joined OpenAI as a member of technical staff in November 2024. The hire comes as OpenAI reportedly considers developing its own web browser to challenge Chrome’s dominance.

OpenAI has proposed the product as a way for websites to change how they interact with visitors, allowing conversations similar to those users have with ChatGPT.

For instance, a user on a clothing retailer’s site could ask for coat recommendations for an upcoming trip, while someone on a cooking site like Bon Appétit could ask about dishes that pair with tikka masala.

Fisher brings over 16 years of browser development expertise from his time at Google (2005–2021) as VP of Engineering, where he helped develop Chrome and Chrome OS. Before joining OpenAI, he held roles at Neeva and The Browser Company.

OpenAI is working on a web browser to bring AI capabilities to browsing. It has also discussed integrating AI-powered search features with companies like Conde Nast, Redfin, Eventbrite, and Priceline.

This development coincides with significant legal pressure on Google, as the U.S. Department of Justice has proposed forcing Google to sell its Chrome browser to break up its monopoly in the search market. 

The proposal, filed in a 23-page document, aims to reduce Google’s control over online searches and could potentially affect a business generating over $300 billion in revenue annually.

Meanwhile, Perplexity AI chief Aravind Srinivas posted on X, saying, “Should Perplexity Buy Chrome?”

Perplexity recently launched a new shopping feature for its pro users in the US, where users can research and purchase products. The AI commerce experience, ‘Buy with Pro’, lets users check out pick products from select merchants on the website or app, and place their order. 

Meanwhile, OpenAI has also reportedly been in talks with Samsung to integrate ChatGPT features into its devices, which could challenge Google’s stronghold in the mobile market.

This move into browser development marks another step in OpenAI’s growing competition with Google after it enters into the search space with SearchGPT.If successful, OpenAI’s browser could offer an AI-powered alternative to Chrome, which currently dominates the global browser market with a 66.7% share.