Back in time: Should we trust AI browsing tools?
ByDr. Tim Sandle
SCIENCE EDITOR
DIGITAL JOURNAL
December 31, 2025
Generative artificial intelligence assistants like ChatGPT are cutting into traditional online search traffic, depriving news sites of visitors and impacting the advertising revenue they desperately need - Copyright AFP Justin TALLIS
According to a December 2025 report on browser privacy, the newly released ChatGPT Atlas ranks as the least secure web client. With the recent wave of AI browsing tools, the study by software provider Digitain examined thirteen popular browsers across different security features.
Why does these two companies stand-out? ChatGPT Atlas failed 100% of state partitioning tests, meaning it cannot prevent websites from tracking users across different browsing sessions. It is also remarkable, given the longevity of the firm. That Chrome ranks among the worst for privacy despite its popularity, scoring only 41 out of 100 for securing how it connects you to websites.
In contrast to the above, Brave and Mullvad are the safest options, keeping your browsing activity completely private from advertisers and data collectors.
Each browser went through dozens of technical tests that checked three main things: whether websites can identify and track you across the internet (called fingerprinting and tracking), whether the browser blocks companies from collecting your data through cookies and trackers, and whether your connection stays secure when you move between websites.
Browsers got scored in each category, and those scores were combined into a final Privacy Risk Score from 1 to 99. The higher your score, the worse your browser is at protecting you, with 99 meaning almost no privacy protection at all.
ChatGPT Atlas
ByDr. Tim Sandle
SCIENCE EDITOR
DIGITAL JOURNAL
December 31, 2025
Generative artificial intelligence assistants like ChatGPT are cutting into traditional online search traffic, depriving news sites of visitors and impacting the advertising revenue they desperately need - Copyright AFP Justin TALLIS
According to a December 2025 report on browser privacy, the newly released ChatGPT Atlas ranks as the least secure web client. With the recent wave of AI browsing tools, the study by software provider Digitain examined thirteen popular browsers across different security features.
Why does these two companies stand-out? ChatGPT Atlas failed 100% of state partitioning tests, meaning it cannot prevent websites from tracking users across different browsing sessions. It is also remarkable, given the longevity of the firm. That Chrome ranks among the worst for privacy despite its popularity, scoring only 41 out of 100 for securing how it connects you to websites.
In contrast to the above, Brave and Mullvad are the safest options, keeping your browsing activity completely private from advertisers and data collectors.
Each browser went through dozens of technical tests that checked three main things: whether websites can identify and track you across the internet (called fingerprinting and tracking), whether the browser blocks companies from collecting your data through cookies and trackers, and whether your connection stays secure when you move between websites.
Browsers got scored in each category, and those scores were combined into a final Privacy Risk Score from 1 to 99. The higher your score, the worse your browser is at protecting you, with 99 meaning almost no privacy protection at all.
The 10 browsers with the highest privacy risks
| Browser | Privacy & Anti-Fingerprinting Index Score | Tracker & Data Blocking Index Score | Connection & Navigation Security Index Score | Privacy Risk Score |
| ChatGPT Atlas | 1 | 0 | 24 | 99 |
| Chrome | 68 | 0 | 41 | 76 |
| Vivaldi | 68 | 0 | 37 | 75 |
| Edge | 68 | 15 | 41 | 63 |
| Opera | 68 | 25 | 41 | 58 |
| Ungoogled | 71 | 25 | 41 | 55 |
| Firefox | 74 | 25 | 51 | 50 |
| Safari | 80 | 25 | 47 | 49 |
| DuckDuckGo | 58 | 79 | 51 | 44 |
| Tor | 52 | 70 | 83 | 40 |
Looming at the top five:
ChatGPT Atlas
Privacy & Anti-Fingerprinting Index Score: 1 out of 100
Tracker & Data Blocking Index Score: 0 out of 100
Connection & Navigation Security Index Score: 24 out of 100
Privacy Risk Score: 99
ChatGPT Atlas is the least private browser of all. OpenAI’s newly launched tool failed nearly every privacy test conducted in the study, scoring just 1 point in anti-fingerprinting protection and 0 in tracker blocking. The browser provides no defence against websites collecting user data through cookies, query parameters, or content trackers. ChatGPT Atlas also performed poorly in basic security measures, managing only 24 points out of 100 for connection and navigation security.
Chrome
Chrome comes second with a privacy risk score of 76, despite being the world’s most popular browser. Google’s browser scored 68 in stopping websites from identifying you but received 0 points for blocking trackers, meaning companies can freely follow your activity across the web. Chrome doesn’t block tracking cookies or the hidden markers that websites use to monitor where you go online. The browser earned 41 points for connection security, falling well below privacy-focused alternatives.
Vivaldi
Vivaldi ranks third among the least private web clients. The browser matched Chrome’s 68-point anti-fingerprinting score but similarly failed to block any trackers, recording 0 in that category. Vivaldi’s connection security also came in slightly lower at 37 points compared to Chrome’s 41. Despite marketing itself as a privacy-conscious alternative to mainstream browsers, Vivaldi’s test results show it offers low protection against online tracking and data harvesting.
Edge
Next comes Microsoft Edge. The browser posted the same 68 points as Chrome and Vivaldi for anti-fingerprinting but showed slight improvement in tracker blocking with a score of 15 out of 100. Edge tied Chrome’s connection security rating at 41 points. While Edge performs marginally better than Chrome and Vivaldi, it still fails to provide adequate privacy protection for users concerned about data collection and online tracking.
Opera
Opera rounds out the five least private browsers. Like other Chromium-based browsers in this ranking, Opera scored 68 for anti-fingerprinting and 41 for connection security. However, Opera showed slightly better tracker blocking capabilities with 25 points, putting it ahead of Edge, Vivaldi, and Chrome in this category. Despite these small improvements, Opera still ranks among browsers that offer poor overall privacy protection.
Tracker & Data Blocking Index Score: 0 out of 100
Connection & Navigation Security Index Score: 24 out of 100
Privacy Risk Score: 99
ChatGPT Atlas is the least private browser of all. OpenAI’s newly launched tool failed nearly every privacy test conducted in the study, scoring just 1 point in anti-fingerprinting protection and 0 in tracker blocking. The browser provides no defence against websites collecting user data through cookies, query parameters, or content trackers. ChatGPT Atlas also performed poorly in basic security measures, managing only 24 points out of 100 for connection and navigation security.
Chrome
Chrome comes second with a privacy risk score of 76, despite being the world’s most popular browser. Google’s browser scored 68 in stopping websites from identifying you but received 0 points for blocking trackers, meaning companies can freely follow your activity across the web. Chrome doesn’t block tracking cookies or the hidden markers that websites use to monitor where you go online. The browser earned 41 points for connection security, falling well below privacy-focused alternatives.
Vivaldi
Vivaldi ranks third among the least private web clients. The browser matched Chrome’s 68-point anti-fingerprinting score but similarly failed to block any trackers, recording 0 in that category. Vivaldi’s connection security also came in slightly lower at 37 points compared to Chrome’s 41. Despite marketing itself as a privacy-conscious alternative to mainstream browsers, Vivaldi’s test results show it offers low protection against online tracking and data harvesting.
Edge
Next comes Microsoft Edge. The browser posted the same 68 points as Chrome and Vivaldi for anti-fingerprinting but showed slight improvement in tracker blocking with a score of 15 out of 100. Edge tied Chrome’s connection security rating at 41 points. While Edge performs marginally better than Chrome and Vivaldi, it still fails to provide adequate privacy protection for users concerned about data collection and online tracking.
Opera
Opera rounds out the five least private browsers. Like other Chromium-based browsers in this ranking, Opera scored 68 for anti-fingerprinting and 41 for connection security. However, Opera showed slightly better tracker blocking capabilities with 25 points, putting it ahead of Edge, Vivaldi, and Chrome in this category. Despite these small improvements, Opera still ranks among browsers that offer poor overall privacy protection.
By Dr. Tim Sandle
SCIENCE EDITOR
DIGITAL JOURNAL
December 29, 2025
AI and robots. Image by © Tim Sandle
The latest investment data shows that investor interest in humanoid robotics is accelerating rapidly within the broader AI market. According to some venture capitalists, however, much of this momentum is being driven by hype rather than commercial readiness, raising concerns that humanoid robotics could become AI’s next bubble.
Recent major venture capital reports from KPMG and PitchBook demonstrate that AI remains in the lead, accounting for more than half of all investments this year. In addition, data from CB Insights shows that investors’ attention inside the AI market is shifting rapidly toward industrial humanoid robotics.
Is the AI-robotic bubble set to burst?
As a result, investors indicate that the flood of AI capital is pushing robotics toward a speculative zone, with potentially too many start-ups promising breakthroughs without commercial evidence.
The reports also show that, in the last quarter, industrial humanoid robotics captured 17 deals – the most of any category. AI was still the primary destination for investors, split into several categories, such as coding AI agents and co-pilots (14 deals), end-to-end software development AI agents (12), and others.
Rapid growth of the sector has already sparked fears of a bubble from the Chinese leading economic planning industry, which said that the humanoid robotics industry needs to “balance the speed against the risks of bubbles,” Bloomberg reports.
Why the interest?
Investors’ appetite for humanoid robots is largely driven by AI, since AI gives humanoids a commercial potential that was previously not possible.
What is the risk?
According to Daiva Rakauskaitė, the partner and manager of Aneli Capital, a company that manages a €35 million fund for early-stage Central and Eastern European startups, there are strong similarities between today’s AI-driven investment boom and the dotcom bubble in the early 2000s, leaving many startups exposed. She expects an AI bubble burst in 2-3 years, as she tells Digital Journal.
“Many AI startups that can’t yet generate revenue will fail, but we’re reaching a consensus on that in the market. While the same risks persist in humanoid robotics, many investors tend to overlook this,” says Rakauskaitė. “However, it is important to distinguish robotics from humanoid robotics; industrial and logistics robots already generate revenue and can deliver measurable results, while humanoids can’t yet prove their commercial value.”
As examples, companies around the world are demonstrating prototypes of robots performing actions from running to boxing, seeking to spark interest from users and investors. Yet, in the real world, Rakauskaitė sees very few practical commercial applications.
Similar challenges also persist for industrial humanoid robotics. These companies face challenges with inference (ability to make decisions in real time), dexterity (how well the robot can physically handle things), reliability, and cost, which limit the initial use cases to factories and warehouses with predictable sets of tasks, notes Rakauskaitė.
According to Rakauskaitė, especially now, when investments are driven by hype, investors should not forget the fundamentals and prioritize revenue-first philosophy, where real money matters more than growth at all costs.
“Investments in robotics and AI are crucial for the future development of humanity. But investors should remain disciplined and back companies that have realistic goals based on economics, not hype. From day one, startups should aim for early revenue streams through licensing, partnerships and have a clear model of monetization in the near future. The same revenue-first philosophy can be applied to any field,” Rakauskaitė explains.
Despite early signs of a bubble in humanoid robotics, Rakauskaitė remains confident in the broader robotics sector, where cheaper hardware and rapid advances in AI are accelerating real-world deployment.
According to Rakauskaitė, robotics is an especially promising field for the CEE startups. This region, Rakauskaitė points out, is located close to Germany, the largest industrial robotics market in Europe, which provides a major strategic advancement to scaling.
“The region also has lots of hidden talent. That’s why we dedicated our new fund for this region, aiming to support the talented founders with hands-on guidance and quick decision-making. Many hype-driven investors pull back once the hype fades. Yet to create real innovators, VCs must support them through their full journey. That’s exactly what we are going to do,” Rakauskaitė concludes.
December 29, 2025
AI and robots. Image by © Tim Sandle
The latest investment data shows that investor interest in humanoid robotics is accelerating rapidly within the broader AI market. According to some venture capitalists, however, much of this momentum is being driven by hype rather than commercial readiness, raising concerns that humanoid robotics could become AI’s next bubble.
Recent major venture capital reports from KPMG and PitchBook demonstrate that AI remains in the lead, accounting for more than half of all investments this year. In addition, data from CB Insights shows that investors’ attention inside the AI market is shifting rapidly toward industrial humanoid robotics.
Is the AI-robotic bubble set to burst?
As a result, investors indicate that the flood of AI capital is pushing robotics toward a speculative zone, with potentially too many start-ups promising breakthroughs without commercial evidence.
The reports also show that, in the last quarter, industrial humanoid robotics captured 17 deals – the most of any category. AI was still the primary destination for investors, split into several categories, such as coding AI agents and co-pilots (14 deals), end-to-end software development AI agents (12), and others.
Rapid growth of the sector has already sparked fears of a bubble from the Chinese leading economic planning industry, which said that the humanoid robotics industry needs to “balance the speed against the risks of bubbles,” Bloomberg reports.
Why the interest?
Investors’ appetite for humanoid robots is largely driven by AI, since AI gives humanoids a commercial potential that was previously not possible.
What is the risk?
According to Daiva Rakauskaitė, the partner and manager of Aneli Capital, a company that manages a €35 million fund for early-stage Central and Eastern European startups, there are strong similarities between today’s AI-driven investment boom and the dotcom bubble in the early 2000s, leaving many startups exposed. She expects an AI bubble burst in 2-3 years, as she tells Digital Journal.
“Many AI startups that can’t yet generate revenue will fail, but we’re reaching a consensus on that in the market. While the same risks persist in humanoid robotics, many investors tend to overlook this,” says Rakauskaitė. “However, it is important to distinguish robotics from humanoid robotics; industrial and logistics robots already generate revenue and can deliver measurable results, while humanoids can’t yet prove their commercial value.”
As examples, companies around the world are demonstrating prototypes of robots performing actions from running to boxing, seeking to spark interest from users and investors. Yet, in the real world, Rakauskaitė sees very few practical commercial applications.
Similar challenges also persist for industrial humanoid robotics. These companies face challenges with inference (ability to make decisions in real time), dexterity (how well the robot can physically handle things), reliability, and cost, which limit the initial use cases to factories and warehouses with predictable sets of tasks, notes Rakauskaitė.
According to Rakauskaitė, especially now, when investments are driven by hype, investors should not forget the fundamentals and prioritize revenue-first philosophy, where real money matters more than growth at all costs.
“Investments in robotics and AI are crucial for the future development of humanity. But investors should remain disciplined and back companies that have realistic goals based on economics, not hype. From day one, startups should aim for early revenue streams through licensing, partnerships and have a clear model of monetization in the near future. The same revenue-first philosophy can be applied to any field,” Rakauskaitė explains.
Despite early signs of a bubble in humanoid robotics, Rakauskaitė remains confident in the broader robotics sector, where cheaper hardware and rapid advances in AI are accelerating real-world deployment.
According to Rakauskaitė, robotics is an especially promising field for the CEE startups. This region, Rakauskaitė points out, is located close to Germany, the largest industrial robotics market in Europe, which provides a major strategic advancement to scaling.
“The region also has lots of hidden talent. That’s why we dedicated our new fund for this region, aiming to support the talented founders with hands-on guidance and quick decision-making. Many hype-driven investors pull back once the hype fades. Yet to create real innovators, VCs must support them through their full journey. That’s exactly what we are going to do,” Rakauskaitė concludes.
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