OpenAI has shown interest in acquiring Google’s Chrome browser if the tech giant is ordered to divest it as part of ongoing antitrust proceedings. The revelation came during court testimony on Tuesday from OpenAI product manager Nick Turley, according to multiple media reports.
Turley was testifying in Washington, D.C., where a judge is considering potential remedies following a 2024 ruling that found Google maintained an illegal monopoly in the online search market.
U.S. government attorneys have suggested that Google should be required to sell its Chrome browser, arguing that the rise of artificial intelligence will only strengthen the company’s dominance in search. They also left open the possibility of recommending a sale of Google’s Android mobile operating system.
Google has pushed back strongly against the proposal, calling it excessive. Kent Walker, the company’s president of global affairs, said in a blog post that the Department of Justice (DOJ) is "pushing a radical interventionist agenda" and that the remedies proposed go far beyond the court’s ruling.
Analysts estimate the value of Chrome, which boasts over three billion users worldwide, at more than $15 billion.
During his testimony, Turley also mentioned that OpenAI had previously approached Google about integrating its search technology into ChatGPT but was turned down.
The antitrust case, originally filed by the DOJ in 2020, focuses on Google’s deals with companies like Apple and Samsung to prioritize its search engine. The court’s decision against Google is currently under appeal.
