OpenAI’s Atlas ushers in the era of AI browsing. Here’s what it means for media

AI-powered browsers are emerging as a new way to navigate the internet, integrating AI assistants directly into the browsing experience. OpenAI's Atlas and Perplexity's Comet are examples, allowing users to delegate multi-step tasks to AI agents through simple commands. Comet offers more traditional browser features like extensions, while Atlas benefits from ChatGPT's widespread user base and contextual memory. Google Chrome, the market leader, is incorporating AI features but is limited by security concerns and its slow development pace. The success of AI browsing hinges on whether these agents can perform a wider range of complex tasks beyond current narrow use cases. OpenAI envisions a future where most web activity is handled by agentic systems, freeing users for more important tasks. This shift has profound implications for media publishers, as AI agents will access and process content, influencing what information users consume. Debates are ongoing regarding how AI agents access content, with AI companies arguing for user-proxy access and others advocating for blocking bots. Publishers need to adapt to a future audience that includes AI agents, requiring new strategies for content access and monetization. Ultimately, the decision of who defines access and payment for content – creators or agent developers – remains a critical unresolved question.