OpenAI said it would be open to buying Google’s Chrome web browser if antitrust regulators compel Alphabet to sell it, a possibility disclosed Tuesday at the Justice Department’s trial seeking to dismantle Google’s stranglehold on internet search.

Nick Turley, head of product for ChatGPT, told U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta that the fast-growing artificial-intelligence company would be “interested” in acquiring Chrome should the court order a sale. 

Mehta ruled in August that Google maintains an illegal monopoly in search and search advertising. The current proceeding, which opened Monday, will decide what remedies are needed to restore competition. 

Government lawyers have asked the judge to make the company share search data and end default-placement payments, and they have considered spinning off businesses such as Chrome.

The search giant has not put Chrome on the auction block and plans to appeal the monopoly finding. The company argues that consumers can switch search engines with a few clicks and that the rise of generative AI chatbots shows the market remains dynamic.

Turley testified that OpenAI last July asked Google for access to its search tech after the startup ran into problems with its own supplier. ChatGPT now relies on Microsoft’s Bing to fetch real-time information, but Turley said using multiple providers, including Google, would “give users a better product.” 

Emails displayed in court showed the search giant denied the request in August, citing potential conflicts with competing firms. “We have no partnership with Google today,” Turley told the court.

The executive added that forcing Google to license its index would speed up efforts to boost ChatGPT’s accuracy. He said the chatbot is “years away” from answering 80 percent of questions with home-grown search tools, making outside data critical.

Prosecutors say Google’s search monopoly could redirect users to its own AI services

Prosecutors argued Monday that Google’s dominance in search could let it steer users toward its own AI services, cementing power in the next wave of technology. Google countered this by pointing to competition from Meta Platforms, Microsoft, and others that were building similar products.

Turley faced questions about an internal memo he wrote last year saying ChatGPT led the consumer chatbot market and did not see the company as its “biggest competitor.” He replied that the document was meant to motivate staff and that distribution deals remain vital.

Court documents on Tuesday also showed Google considering fresh deals with Android phone makers that would pre-install not only its search bar but also the new Gemini AI assistant and Chrome browser. Instead, Google recently loosened agreements with Samsung Electronics, Motorola, AT&T, and Verizon, allowing them to install rival search options. 

The company says these non-exclusive contracts demonstrate that harsh remedies are unnecessary. The Justice Department, by contrast, wants the judge to go further, banning any payments in exchange for installing its search apps.

Peter Fitzgerald, a senior Google executive, said last week that the company reminded partners that they are free to add other AI products. Letters were sent, he testified, to “clear up any confusion.”

The possibility of a forced sale of Chrome, which commands about two-thirds of global desktop browsing, according to market trackers, would draw intense interest from both tech giants and smaller players. Turley said OpenAI would “evaluate” a purchase if the opportunity arose, but emphasized that the company is not lobbying for a breakup.

Alphabet shares closed little changed Tuesday. The company has not commented publicly on potential buyers for Chrome.

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