OpenAI unveils ChatGPT search feature to compete with Google
OpenAI unveils ChatGPT search feature to compete with Google
OpenAI recently enhanced its ChatGPT chatbot by adding search engine features to compete with Google’s long-standing dominance in web search. This upgrade allows users to get quick and up-to-date answers, along with links to relevant web sources, which previously required a traditional search engine.
Now, ChatGPT’s homepage includes direct links to information on various topics like weather, stock prices, sports scores, and breaking news, sourced from partners like Le Monde, Axel Springer, and the Financial Times. The new interface resembles Google’s search results but is free from advertisements, and it also shares similarities with Perplexity, another AI-driven search engine that provides a conversational search experience with cited sources.
OpenAI and Perplexity have sued the New York Times, claiming it scrapped or linked to copyrighted content without authorization. Instead of creating a new product, OpenAI has added a search feature directly into ChatGPT for paying users, with plans to make it available for free users as well. Users can set the search feature to be enabled by default or activate it manually using the web search icon. OpenAI also mentioned that any website or publisher can choose to be included in ChatGPT’s search results and is seeking feedback from content creators to enhance the system.
Since their launch, AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Anthropic’s Claude have had limitations due to data cutoffs, meaning their answers weren’t always current. This has been seen as a drawback, especially for OpenAI, which lacks a standalone search engine to provide timely information, unlike Google and Microsoft, which integrate AI responses with web results.
Currently, the search feature in ChatGPT will not include ads, allowing for cleaner results compared to Google. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman expressed on X that search is his “favorite feature” launched since ChatGPT’s introduction in 2022, stating it offers a much faster and easier way to find information.
The launch of this feature raises questions about OpenAI’s relationship with Microsoft, a key investor, as Microsoft aims to enhance its Bing search engine to compete with Google. Altman is steering OpenAI toward becoming a major player on the internet, achieving a remarkable $157 billion valuation in a recent fundraising round with investors like Microsoft, SoftBank, and Nvidia. However, attracting new users with search capabilities will significantly increase the company’s computing needs and costs.
