The browser that browses you
Humans prize “free will” more than anything in the world, but would it be wrong to say that we live on rails built by software? Our calendars remember better than we do, keyboards finish our thoughts, and now AI-powered web browsers are cutting deals with websites when we aren't looking.
When a machine fetches, filters, summarizes, and acts, the line where we end and it begins starts to blur. If that isn’t the start of a cyborg — what is?
This newsletter dissects what an AI browser actually does and how OpenAI's Atlas fits or departs from the mold; the upside it promises vs. the new attack surface it creates; practical alternatives if you don’t want one machine holding all your keys; and a quick scan of early missteps since launch.
What an AI browser actually does#
An AI browser combines a traditional web interface with an integrated assistant that can observe what you’re viewing, explain it, and, with permission, take action. In OpenAI's Atlas, which appears as a ChatGPT sidebar that you can open on any page to summarize, compare, or analyze what’s on-screen, instead of copying and pasting into a separate app.
Atlas is currently available on macOS (Apple silicon) and will be rolled out to other platforms next. Agent mode in Atlas is in preview for paid tiers: Plus ($20 per month, individual), Pro ($200 per month, individual), and Business ($25 to $30 per seat per month, two or more users).
Where it differs from a normal browser is in agency. Agent mode allows ChatGPT to plan and execute multi-step tasks on the page, such as researching, filling out forms, and even shopping, while you observe. It can open pages, take screenshots, click buttons, and ask you to take over when a login or a sensitive step appears.
Atlas is designed to pause on sensitive sites, such as financial institutions, and prompts you to watch or take over before proceeding. It can’t run code in your browser, access your file system, or install extensions, and you can run it logged out to limit exposure. These constraints are in place because agentic browsing is brittle: content can conceal instructions (prompt injections) that subvert the agent’s intended actions.
