ChatGPT Chrome extension can read your open tabs

OpenAI upgraded the ChatGPT Chrome extension so it can use your open browser tabs when you tag Chrome, and ChatGPT Work can control tabs for tasks like filling forms. Atlas is gone; this brings similar browser help into Chrome.

OpenAI is bringing more of ChatGPT directly into Google Chrome. An upgraded ChatGPT extension can now look at the tabs you already have open, and a refreshed sidebar puts the full assistant next to whatever page you are reading.

What the extension can do now

Once the extension is installed, you can tag Chrome inside the ChatGPT web or desktop app and ask questions that draw on your open tabs. OpenAI's own example is comparing several product pages side by side, such as three sofas you are deciding between, without copying and pasting anything.

The sidebar has also been upgraded so you get ChatGPT's full capabilities and your conversation history, in both Chat and Work modes, without leaving the current page. In Work mode, ChatGPT can go further and control your Chrome tabs to complete tasks such as sending messages, filling out forms, downloading files, or grouping and organizing tabs.

Context: Atlas is gone

OpenAI previously offered its own browser, ChatGPT Atlas, which has since been discontinued. The extension effectively brings similar browser assistance into the browser most people already use. It also puts ChatGPT in more direct competition with Google, whose Gemini-powered auto-browse features already offer agent-style actions inside Chrome.

Why it matters for builders

Browser agents are becoming a mainstream interface, which has consequences for anyone who builds websites or web apps. If assistants increasingly read pages and fill forms on behalf of users, clear semantic HTML, labeled form fields and predictable flows will help both humans and agents. Sites that rely on confusing layouts or hidden inputs may see agents fail where people would not.

There is also a privacy and security angle. Giving an assistant access to every open tab is powerful but broad; it is worth thinking about which tabs are open before you tag Chrome, especially when banking, email or admin dashboards are among them. For teams, it raises questions about whether company policy allows AI agents to act in internal tools.

If you want to compare browser-capable assistants, ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity are all listed in our directory.

Source: The Verge. This article is PickAI’s own summary and analysis based on the original reporting.