OpenAI is adding to Google's troubles in the UK; with this 'ChatGPT request' on Android phones

OpenAI is reportedly planning to piggyback on Google to expand ChatGPT’s role in the UK’s search market. The Sam Altman-led company has asked the country’s regulators to require Google to offer its chatbot as an alternative search option on Android phones and in web browsers, a report claims. The move comes as the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) considers new measures that would require Google to present users with a “choice screen” on Android and Chrome, enabling them to select a default search provider.According to a report by The Telegraph, OpenAI has argued that, along with traditional search engines like Microsoft Bing, AI-driven tools like ChatGPT should also be included as options, signaling a shift in how search services are defined and offered to users.In a submission to CMA (as seen by The Telegraph), OpenAI stated, “Like search engines, some chatbots enable broad information discovery through conversational or multimodal responses. And consumers increasingly are using these services to conduct a wide range of searches. OpenAI recommends that the eligibility criteria should explicitly include a clear reference to AI chatbots that include search functionality and competing offerings of a ‘search generative experience.’”ChatGPT and other AI systems are increasingly being considered a challenge to Google’s search business, as they allow users to find information without navigating traditional search results. Allowing users to set an AI chatbot as their default search option could create a new layer of competition for the company.In its filing, OpenAI argued that ChatGPT should be treated as an alternative search option, noting that Google has already integrated AI into its own search experience through features that summarise results in a conversational format rather than just showing links.In 2024, ChatGPT introduced a search feature that enables the bot to browse the web on behalf of users. While it is already possible to set ChatGPT as the default search engine in Chrome, the process requires additional software and is not offered directly by Google. The platform currently has around 900 million weekly users.Last year, the CMA said Google has “strategic market status” in search due to its market position and proposed measures, such as choice screens, to encourage competition. Although Google already provides such options on Android in the UK, the proposals would extend this requirement to its Chrome browser and include periodic prompts asking users if they want to switch.A Google spokesperson, responding to the regulator, said “frequent, interruptive pop-ups” would “annoy users”.The rise of ChatGPT since its launch in 2022 prompted Google to declare a “code red”, reflecting internal concerns about competition. However, Google’s search business has continued to grow, with revenues increasing 16% to $63 billion last year. Meanwhile, Google Gemini has also expanded, positioning it alongside ChatGPT in the evolving AI-driven search space.