.jpg)
4 hours ago
1
Article content
OpenAI would be interested in buying Google’s Chrome browser if a federal court orders it to be spun off, the head of ChatGPT said in a court hearing Tuesday.
THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY
Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
- Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others.
- Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.
- Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.
- National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.
- Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.
SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES
Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.
- Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others.
- Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.
- Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.
- National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.
- Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.
REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES
Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.
- Access articles from across Canada with one account.
- Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.
- Enjoy additional articles per month.
- Get email updates from your favourite authors.
THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.
Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.
- Access articles from across Canada with one account
- Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments
- Enjoy additional articles per month
- Get email updates from your favourite authors
Sign In or Create an Account
or
Article content
Article content
“Yes, we would, as would many other parties,” Nick Turley, OpenAI’s ChatGPT chief said in response to a question about whether the company would seek to buy Google’s browser.
Article content
Turley was called by the United States Justice Department to testify as part of a three-week trial aimed at determining what changes Alphabet Inc.’s Google must make to its business after a federal judge found last year that the company monopolized the search market. Judge Amit Mehta is set to decide by August what business practices Google must modify. The Justice Department has asked that Google be forced to divest Chrome.
Article content
Article content
Currently, OpenAI’s chatbot, ChatGPT, has an extension in Google’s Chrome browser available for users to download. But having Chrome be more deeply integrated into OpenAI would allow for a better product, Turley said.
Article content
By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.
Article content
“You could offer a really incredible experience” if ChatGPT was integrated into Chrome, he said. We would “have the ability to introduce users into what an AI first experience looks like.”
Article content
Turley said one of the company’s most difficult issues today is with distribution. While the company has reached a deal to integrate ChatGPT into Apple Inc.’s iPhone, it hasn’t had any success with Android smartphone manufacturers, he said.
Article content
Earlier, a Google executive acknowledged that the company began paying Samsung Electronics Co. in January to pre-install its Gemini AI app on its phones. That agreement isn’t exclusive, but Turley said OpenAI didn’t make much headway in negotiations with the South Korean company because of Google’s ability to outspend the startup.
Article content
“It was not a lack of trying,” he said. “We never got to a point where we could discuss concrete terms.”
Article content
Article content
ChatGPT, which was launched in November 2022, quickly became a viral success as one of the fastest-growing consumer software products of all time. In February, OpenAI said it has over 400 million weekly active users. Turley said the company exceeded its 2024 goals for weekly active users, but didn’t give numbers.
Article content
Read More
-
Live Q&A: The election and your taxes
-
Future legislation compensating news outlets for content must account for AI
Advertisement embed-more-topic
Article content
This week, Google began squaring off against the Justice Department and dozens of state attorney generals over what changes Mehta will order to prevent the company from monopolizing the online search market.
Article content
The Justice Department’s proposed remedies include forcing Google to sell its Chrome browser, license search data to rivals and halt paid contracts for exclusive positions on apps and devices. Google says the government’s proposal would hurt consumers by making everyday Google products worse, and that it would harm U.S. leadership in tech.
Article content
If the court orders Google to sell off its popular web browser, it would mark the first court ordered breakup of a major U.S. company since AT&T’s split in the 1980s.
Article content
Article content
English (US)