The Verge reported on 15 October that OpenAI has upgraded its ChatGPT extension for Google Chrome. OpenAI says ChatGPT can now see your open tabs when you tag Chrome in its web or desktop app. In OpenAI's demo video, a user asks it to compare three open tabs of sofas. The sidebar now offers the full ChatGPT and your whole conversation history in Chat or Work. OpenAI also says ChatGPT Work can control tabs to send messages, fill in forms or download files. The Verge likens this to Google's Gemini-powered auto browse.
The Verge's report leaves several things open. It does not say which plans or countries get the upgrade, or when. It does not say what ChatGPT keeps from the tabs it reads. It does not say whether users must approve each action Work takes. It notes that OpenAI's Atlas browser is gone, but gives no reason.
The shift is from reading tabs you tag to acting in them. Reading shows the assistant what is on a page. Acting means it works inside pages where you are already signed in, so your browser session sets what it can do. Budget signers can ask: which plans include Work, what is kept from tabs, does each action need approval, and can admins limit it on managed browsers? The report answers none of these.