In a striking courtroom revelation, OpenAI has expressed interest in acquiring Google Chrome should a federal court mandate its sale as part of ongoing antitrust remedies against the tech giant. The testimony came from OpenAI product manager Nick Turley on Tuesday during proceedings in Washington, D.C., where a judge is weighing penalties against Google following a landmark ruling last year.
Turley’s testimony signals that the artificial intelligence startup is prepared to make a bold move into the browser space, potentially reshaping the digital landscape and intensifying competition in a market long dominated by Google.
Google under pressure as DOJ pushes for major divestitures
The courtroom drama stems from the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) ongoing legal battle with Google, which culminated in an August 2024 decision declaring the company maintained an illegal monopoly in online search.
Now, Judge Amit Mehta is considering remedies, and the DOJ is urging him to force Google to divest key assets, chief among them, the Chrome browser.
Government attorneys argue that with the rise of generative artificial intelligence, Google’s entrenched position could become even more unassailable if left unchecked. The DOJ claims that owning Chrome gives Google an unfair pipeline to user data and default search dominance, stifling innovation in AI-powered search tools.
Turley’s court appearance added a new layer to the debate. He testified that OpenAI had previously approached Google about integrating its AI search tools into Chrome but was rebuffed. “OpenAI is ready to buy Chrome if Google is forced to sell its popular browser as part of [the] antitrust trial,” Turley reportedly said, according to multiple media sources.
Google fires back: DOJ’s demands go ‘miles beyond’ court ruling
Google has fiercely opposed the DOJ’s proposed remedies. Kent Walker, Google’s president of global affairs, criticized the DOJ’s demands as “radical” and “overbroad,” asserting that they would hurt consumers and U.S. tech leadership on the global stage.
“The DOJ chose to push a radical interventionist agenda that would harm Americans and America’s global technology leadership,” Walker wrote in a blog post. “The DOJ’s wildly overbroad proposal goes miles beyond the Court’s decision.”
Google contends the case centers on its agreements with companies like Apple and Samsung to preinstall its search engine, not on ownership of Chrome or Android. Still, the DOJ has floated both as potential assets for divestiture, escalating the stakes for the Mountain View-based company.
Chrome’s value and AI ambitions
Chrome, with an estimated 3 billion users globally, is valued at more than $15 billion by some analysts, including Bloomberg. Its sale would mark one of the most significant divestitures in tech history and could create a seismic shift in how users access the internet.
OpenAI’s interest in Chrome reflects broader ambitions to weave artificial intelligence into daily digital experiences. The company’s flagship product, ChatGPT, is already positioned as a powerful digital assistant, and deeper browser integration would accelerate its reach into search, a space where Google currently reigns supreme.
The road ahead
The DOJ first filed suit against Google back in 2020, and the legal battle has only intensified since. While Judge Mehta ruled against the company last year, Google has filed an appeal. A final decision on remedies, including whether Chrome or other assets must be sold, remains pending.
In the meantime, OpenAI’s testimony has added a new twist—one that could reshape the future of internet browsing and AI search capabilities in the years to come.
