OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has completely abandoned Google Search , saying he "legitimately cannot tell you the last time I did a Google search" during an explosive dinner interview with tech reporters. The admission comes as ChatGPT reaches 700 million weekly users and threatens to topple Google's two-decade dominance of the $175 billion search market, with Altman himself serving as the most high-profile convert to AI-powered search alternatives.
Speaking to The Verge's Command Line newsletter and tech reporters in San Francisco, Altman's personal browsing habits reflect a broader industry transformation. ChatGPT now commands 700 million weekly users and ranks as the world's fifth-largest website, processing billions of conversations that increasingly replace traditional Google queries.
OpenAI's rise signals death of traditional search
The numbers tell the story of a seismic shift underway. OpenAI's API traffic doubled within 48 hours of GPT-5's launch, while severe GPU shortages reveal overwhelming demand that traditional search engines never generated.
Altman confidently predicted ChatGPT will overtake Instagram and Facebook in web rankings , though he acknowledged "beating Google" presents the ultimate test. OpenAI's planned trillion-dollar data center investments signal the company's commitment to winning these search wars, as conversational AI fundamentally transforms how people discover information online.
Web publishers brace for AI-driven traffic apocalypse
The implications extend far beyond search engines. Content creators and digital publishers face mounting pressure as Altman predicted "people will go to fewer websites," a trend that threatens the entire web ecosystem built on clicks and page views.
Yet Altman offered publishers a lifeline, suggesting "human-created, human-endorsed, human-curated content all goes up in value dramatically." This creates a paradox where premium content becomes more valuable even as fewer people visit websites directly, forcing publishers to rethink distribution strategies in an AI-first internet.
During the wide-ranging conversation, Altman also expressed interest in acquiring Google Chrome if antitrust regulators force its divestiture, stating "If Chrome is really going to sell, we should take a look at it."
Speaking to The Verge's Command Line newsletter and tech reporters in San Francisco, Altman's personal browsing habits reflect a broader industry transformation. ChatGPT now commands 700 million weekly users and ranks as the world's fifth-largest website, processing billions of conversations that increasingly replace traditional Google queries.
OpenAI's rise signals death of traditional search
The numbers tell the story of a seismic shift underway. OpenAI's API traffic doubled within 48 hours of GPT-5's launch, while severe GPU shortages reveal overwhelming demand that traditional search engines never generated.
Altman confidently predicted ChatGPT will overtake Instagram and Facebook in web rankings , though he acknowledged "beating Google" presents the ultimate test. OpenAI's planned trillion-dollar data center investments signal the company's commitment to winning these search wars, as conversational AI fundamentally transforms how people discover information online.
Web publishers brace for AI-driven traffic apocalypse
The implications extend far beyond search engines. Content creators and digital publishers face mounting pressure as Altman predicted "people will go to fewer websites," a trend that threatens the entire web ecosystem built on clicks and page views.
Yet Altman offered publishers a lifeline, suggesting "human-created, human-endorsed, human-curated content all goes up in value dramatically." This creates a paradox where premium content becomes more valuable even as fewer people visit websites directly, forcing publishers to rethink distribution strategies in an AI-first internet.
During the wide-ranging conversation, Altman also expressed interest in acquiring Google Chrome if antitrust regulators force its divestiture, stating "If Chrome is really going to sell, we should take a look at it."
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