OpenAI Introduces ChatGPT Search Engine, Challenging Google’s Reign

On Thursday, OpenAI unveiled a new search engine feature within its ChatGPT AI chatbot, marking a bold move into Google’s longstanding domain of web search.

This update allows ChatGPT users to access fast, up-to-date information with direct links to relevant sources, eliminating the need to switch to traditional search engines, OpenAI announced in a blog post.

The enhancement empowers ChatGPT to offer real-time data on topics such as weather, stock prices, sports results, and breaking news, complete with direct references to source material.

Examples showcased on OpenAI’s website closely mimic Google’s search results and Google Maps, as well as the layout of Perplexity, an AI-driven search engine known for its conversational approach.

This search functionality appears as a new option within ChatGPT, allowing users to enable it by default or manually select it by clicking the web search icon.

OpenAI also noted that publishers can choose to appear in ChatGPT’s results and that the company is actively seeking feedback from content creators to refine the feature.

Historically, AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Anthropic’s Claude have faced limitations with information cutoffs, causing responses to become outdated.

OpenAI’s new feature addresses this gap, offering a direct competition to Google and Microsoft’s AI-enhanced search capabilities.

The launch also raises questions about OpenAI’s ties to Microsoft, a key investor in OpenAI, as both companies compete to capture a larger share of the search market with their respective AI-powered solutions.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, whose vision is to position OpenAI as a major internet player, has recently propelled the company’s valuation to a staggering $157 billion, with investments from Microsoft, SoftBank, and Nvidia.

Adding a search engine capability could drive even higher demand for OpenAI’s services, increasing both the company’s reach and its operational costs.