OpenAI has launched Atlas, a browser with ChatGPT built in, and it is something we at Honcho are watching closely. It blends familiar search with an assistant that sits alongside the page and helps you get answers without hopping between tabs.
What it does
Atlas aims to make search less of a click-around and more of a get-things-done flow. You open a page, ask a question in the sidebar, and it pulls out the bits that matter, compares sources, and drafts what you need. It can summarise long pages, pull quick facts, help you weigh up options with simple pros and cons, and in some cases take actions like filling forms. You can import your bookmarks and passwords, use many Chrome extensions, and choose how it remembers things with clear privacy controls.
Why I'm sceptical
Although I am sceptical of new AI releases, I can see the appeal. Comparing results is genuinely useful, especially for indecisive shoppers, since it can lay out pros and cons to help decisions. My concern is that adding another layer of automation could pull you away from the best part of online shopping, new brands you discover, good-value finds, styles you would not normally pick. As AI gets more integrated, you risk seeing only what you already want, not what you could like.
The data side is the bit that still worries me. A browser that remembers what you do is handy, but it also puts a lot of sensitive context in one place, and trust has to be earned. The questions are simple: who can see it, how long it is kept, and what happens if something goes wrong. Until there is independent scrutiny and sensible default limits, the fair position is to be cautious. I would treat Atlas’s memory as optional, keep personal and work separate, and expect clear logs, deletion that actually deletes, and plain English on retention. If those standards are met over time, confidence will grow, if not, the feature stays off.
Fin from our PPC team shares his thoughts on how this could change paid search.
“I think Atlas is a really interesting concept. It aims to refine and streamline the browsing process, but in doing so, it also removes a bit of what makes browsing...well, browsing. By tailoring searches to where and what you usually shop, it risks overlooking those moments when you’d actually buy from somewhere new.
That said, I’m curious to see how this could impact paid search. If Atlas can push more people toward products they’re genuinely likely to want or buy, it could mean fewer low-quality clicks and leads, resulting in less wasted ad spend on users who were only ever just browsing.”