At Google's antitrust trial in Washington, a significant revelation came from OpenAI's head of product, Nick Turley, who stated that OpenAI would be interested in acquiring Google Chrome if antitrust authorities force Alphabet to divest it. The statement was made during Turley's testimony as a government witness in the landmark case brought by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), which aims to dismantle what it claims is Google’s monopoly in online search and related advertising.
Key Developments from the Trial:
OpenAI’s Interest in Chrome
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Turley said OpenAI would consider buying Chrome to enhance distribution for ChatGPT and other AI products, should the browser be put up for sale.
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Chrome, a dominant browser globally, could offer a powerful channel for AI product integration and user acquisition.
Google’s Monopoly and DOJ's Goals
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In August, Judge Amit Mehta ruled that Google had indeed abused its monopoly by locking in exclusive default search deals with phone makers like Samsung and telecoms such as Verizon.
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The DOJ now seeks remedies that include forcing Google to share search data, end exclusive contracts, and possibly divest key assets like Chrome.
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Google plans to appeal the monopoly ruling and maintains that non-exclusive agreements in recent deals with Samsung, Motorola, AT&T, and Verizon demonstrate their willingness to allow competition.
AI Competition and Search Integration
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Turley’s testimony also provided insight into the AI competition landscape:
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OpenAI reached out to Google in July 2024 to access Google Search via API, citing problems with their unnamed search provider (presumably Bing).
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Google declined in August, citing potential conflicts involving multiple competitors.
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ChatGPT currently integrates Microsoft Bing, but Turley emphasized the importance of multiple partnerships for improving search functionality.
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Turley noted that ChatGPT is still years away from building its own full-scale search system capable of answering 80% of queries reliably, underlining the importance of access to advanced search APIs.
Competitive Concerns in AI
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Prosecutors argue Google’s dominance in search could translate into a lead in AI, particularly if its search engine continues to drive traffic to its own generative AI tools like Gemini.
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Documents presented showed that Google considered exclusive deals for not just search, but also Gemini AI and Chrome—but ultimately backed away from those.
OpenAI’s Competitive Outlook
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Despite past internal documents where Turley downplayed Google as a key rival, he testified that they were motivational in nature and that OpenAI still sees value in partnerships, including potentially with Google.
Broader Context:
The trial offers a rare look into the AI arms race and how intertwined it is with search infrastructure. With OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, Microsoft’s Copilot, and Meta’s LLaMA all competing for dominance, distribution platforms like Chrome could play a pivotal role.
If the court sides with the DOJ’s proposals, it could significantly reshape both the search and AI ecosystems, potentially giving OpenAI and others a stronger foothold—especially if Chrome or search data becomes accessible.
