OpenAI has launched its AI-powered browser called Atlas, with ChatGPT at the center of the experience. The San Francisco-based AI startup is marketing Atlas as a fast and flexible browser made for the next era of the web.
Atlas feels very familiar to a traditional browser but has some neat tricks up its sleeve that set it apart. Here are the top 5 features of Atlas you need to know:
1) ChatGPT as companion:
ChatGPT rides along with the user while using the web on Atlas. The chatbot is present in the sidebar and can be summoned at any moment by clicking on the “Ask ChatGPT” option.
The AI chatbot can be used to draft emails, code directly inside the browser, autofill forms, summarize information from the webpage, and answer any questions about it.
2) Personalized browsing:
Atlas comes with memory, meaning ChatGPT can remember the websites a user visited and what they did on them, and use that information to personalize its responses.
OpenAI says users can ask ChatGPT in Atlas questions like: “Find all the job postings I was looking at last week and create a summary of industry trends so I can prepare for interviews.”
The company notes that browser memories are optional, and users can view or archive them in the settings.
3) AI-powered search:
Unlike a traditional browser, when you search from the status bar in Atlas, your searches aren’t directed via Google Search or Bing. Instead, they are routed via ChatGPT. OpenAI says it has significantly improved the ChatGPT search experience for Atlas by adding support for contextual tabs for traditional search, images, videos, or news stories, giving an experience akin to a traditional search engine.
When users click on a search result, Atlas opens the link in a split view with the chat sidebar.
4) Agentic Mode:
The standout feature of Atlas is the introduction of an Agent Mode which can take actions on a user’s behalf. The feature, which takes inspiration from ChatGPT Agent, can be used to book restaurant reservations, order groceries, create purchase lists, compare options, and complete multi-step tasks.
OpenAI says the ChatGPT agent is now better at researching and analyzing, automating tasks, and planning events or booking appointments while you browse.
5) In-line editing:
OpenAI is further streamlining the most-used task of ChatGPT — text editing — with Atlas. Users can select the text in areas like an email and then directly click on the ChatGPT icon to tidy it up or change its tone. The process removes the need to copy and paste information and switch between different browser tabs.
