Samsung could challenge Microsoft by baking ChatGPT into its browser

Samsung Internet welcome screen on mobile
(Image credit: Jay Bonggolto / Android Central)

What you need to know

  • The latest version of Samsung Internet includes strings of code suggesting that a ChatGPT integration is in the works.
  • Samsung previously banned the use of ChatGPT and other AI chatbots on company-owned devices after some of its engineers uploaded critical data to OpenAI's chatbot.
  • ChatGPT could reside in the browser's Labs section, which houses experimental features.

The AI hype reached stratospheric heights after Microsoft partnered with OpenAI to introduce ChatGPT into Bing, and the software giant could soon face a new threat from a not-so-unexpected name: Samsung. The Korean tech giant's own Samsung Internet browser has been spotted containing code hinting at an integration with ChatGPT.

Samsung could be taking its fight to Microsoft by embedding ChatGPT into its browser, as spotted by Android Authority in an app teardown. Apparently, the latest version of Samsung Internet (v22.0.0.54) includes strings of code mentioning the chatbot AI as an experimental feature of the browser.

It remains unclear what difference the integration brings to the table as opposed to simply visiting the ChatGPT website. Android Authority speculates that the AI could do things like summarize a web page or allow users to make queries within the browser without having to navigate to the AI's web page.

Based on code found in Samsung Internet, the AI is likely to be found within Labs, the browser's dedicated space for experimental features.

<string name="pref_chatgpt_enable">Enable ChatGpt</string>
<string name="pref_chatgpt_lab_title">Test ChatGPT</string>
<string name="pref_chatgpt_model">ChatGpt Model</string>
<string name="pref_chatgpt_query">Query For Summarizing</string>
<string name="pref_chatgpt_query_other_message">Enter chatGPT query to test</string>
<string name="pref_chatgpt_title">ChatGpt Settings</string>

The latest discovery comes a few months after Samsung reportedly prohibited its employees from using ChatGPT. A memo was apparently sent out to all employees after it was discovered in April that its engineers had accidentally uploaded critical data to ChatGPT, including internal source code.

However, Samsung did not completely abandon the possibility of allowing its employees to use generative AI to help them with their work. According to The Korea Economic Daily, the company was collaborating with Naver to develop an AI platform for internal use only by Samsung employees.

Tech giants like Google and Microsoft have been betting their future on AI for the next several years, so it makes sense for Samsung to join the fray. A potential ChatGPT integration with one of the leading web browsers, in particular, could provide a more personalized and interactive browsing experience for users. 

That said, AI's impact on the nature of truth and the accuracy of information remains a bigger concern.

Jay Bonggolto
News Writer & Reviewer

Jay Bonggolto always keeps a nose for news. He has been writing about consumer tech and apps for as long as he can remember, and he has used a variety of Android phones since falling in love with Jelly Bean. Send him a direct message via Twitter or LinkedIn.