OpenAI has announced the expansion of its ChatGPT-powered internet search to all users, a move that intensifies competition with Google’s long-standing dominance in the search engine market.
The San Francisco-based artificial intelligence company had introduced search capabilities to its ChatGPT platform in October last year, though this feature was initially restricted to paying subscribers. The latest upgrade now makes the tool accessible to free users, allowing them to access up-to-date information with links to relevant sources, directly competing with traditional search engines.
The update means ChatGPT can now deliver “fast, timely answers” sourced in real time from the web, a significant improvement over its previous limitations caused by data cutoffs. This integration enables users to obtain accurate and current information without the need to rely solely on conventional search platforms.
Kevin Weil, OpenAI’s chief product officer, said in a video statement posted on YouTube,“We’re bringing search to all logged-in free users of ChatGPT. That means it’ll be available globally on every platform where you use ChatGPT.”
The revamped search experience, demonstrated by OpenAI, showcases a clean and streamlined interface. Answers feature cited web sources, a presentation reminiscent of Perplexity, another AI-driven search engine, and are notably free of the advertising clutter often found on platforms like Google.
Adam Fry, OpenAI’s ChatGPT Search product lead, added,“We’re really just making the ChatGPT experience that you know better with up-to-date information from the web. We’re rolling this out to hundreds of millions of users, starting today.”
Unlike some rivals, OpenAI has chosen not to launch a standalone search product, instead embedding the feature seamlessly within the existing ChatGPT experience. Users can enable the search tool by default or activate it manually through a dedicated web search icon.
The integration comes as other tech giants such as Microsoft and Google incorporate AI-generated results into their search tools. Notably, Microsoft, a major investor in OpenAI, has been leveraging its collaboration to bolster its Bing search engine in a bid to challenge Google’s supremacy.
The rollout of ChatGPT’s enhanced search function comes during OpenAI’s series of livestreamed product launches, spanning 12 days. Among other announcements, the company has introduced a new premium subscription tier, ChatGPT Pro, and begun showcasingSora, an AI-powered video generation tool.