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A few minutes into OpenAI’s Atlas browser, the reporter hit message limits and a GPT-5 free-plan cap—reminders that its chatbot‑centric design works best with a subscription. Atlas can highlight deals and compare prices, but booking tasks were limited to paying customers. OpenAI pitches a “super‑assistant” while seeking revenue from 800 million users; only about 5% pay, and ads could hurt experience, analyst Stephanie Liu warned. Atlas may also learn from user behavior, raising privacy concerns. With Chrome dominant—and Gemini and Copilot embedded—developer Erik Goins says ChatGPT could cut out search’s middleman, but whether people will pay remains uncertain.

Prepared by Jonathan Pierce and reviewed by editorial team.