OpenAI would consider purchasing Google’s Chrome browser if antitrust enforcers succeed in requiring Alphabet Inc. to divest the popular product, a senior executive testified on Tuesday during the ongoing U.S. Department of Justice antitrust trial against Google.
Nick Turley, Head of Product for ChatGPT at OpenAI, made the statement while testifying as a government witness in the landmark trial aimed at determining appropriate remedies following a judicial finding that Google maintains an illegal monopoly in online search and related advertising markets, Reuters reported.
The trial, which is currently focused on potential remedies to restore competition, follows a 2023 ruling by U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta concluding that Google illegally bolstered its dominance through exclusive agreements with major partners such as Samsung Electronics and wireless carriers.
Turley revealed that OpenAI had previously approached Google seeking access to its search technology to enhance ChatGPT’s accuracy and timeliness. The request, made in July of last year, was declined by Google in August, citing concerns over enabling competitors. At the time, OpenAI sought access to Google’s API to improve its chatbot’s performance, especially after experiencing difficulties with its existing search provider, which Turley did not identify. ChatGPT currently relies on Microsoft’s Bing for search capabilities.
“We believe having multiple partners, and in particular Google’s API, would enable us to provide a better product to users,” OpenAI stated in an email presented as evidence during the proceedings.
Turley also testified that search integration is essential to achieving ChatGPT’s goal of independently answering at least 80% of user queries with up-to-date and factual information—an objective that remains years away. He emphasized that proposed remedies such as mandating Google to share search data with rivals would significantly advance OpenAI’s development efforts.
The trial has also brought attention to the broader competitive landscape in generative AI. Prosecutors argue that Google’s entrenched dominance in search may confer advantages in the rapidly evolving AI sector. They allege that Google’s AI products further reinforce the company’s market power by directing users back to its search engine.
Google, for its part, has highlighted the competitive nature of the generative AI market, citing offerings from Microsoft, Meta Platforms (META.O), and other tech firms. During cross-examination, Google’s legal team pointed to an internal OpenAI document in which Turley noted that ChatGPT led the consumer chatbot market and did not view Google as its primary competitor. Turley clarified that the document was intended to motivate employees rather than provide a strategic assessment.
Meanwhile, the DOJ continues to push for structural remedies beyond limiting exclusive agreements. The government seeks to prohibit Google from making lucrative payments to secure default search placements and to potentially force divestitures of key products like Chrome.
Internal documents presented at trial indicate that Google had considered exclusive bundling arrangements for its search engine, Chrome browser, and Gemini AI app on Android devices. However, more recent contracts with partners such as Samsung, Motorola, AT&T, and Verizon have shifted away from exclusivity, allowing for the installation of competing products.
In testimony on Tuesday, Google executive Peter Fitzgerald stated that the company has communicated with partners to affirm that its agreements do not restrict the installation of rival AI tools.
As the trial progresses, the court’s decisions could have far-reaching implications for the future structure of online search and the competitive dynamics of the AI ecosystem.
