OpenAI is taking aim at Google with its latest addition to ChatGPT. ChatGPT Search allows you to find information from around the web just like a search engine.
Available Online and ChatGPT Apps
ChatGPT can automatically search the web based on a question you ask, or you can search manually by choosing the Search icon.
OpenAI also partnered with news and data providers to show up-to-date information and visual cues for categories including weather, stocks, sports, news, and maps.
When using the search features, chats will show links to sources like a news article or blog post. You can also choose the Sources button below the app to see a sidebar with references.
ChatGPT Search uses a “fine-tuned” version of GPT-4o. It also uses information from third-party search providers and content directly provided from partners. OpenAI says it plans to keep improving the search capabilities, especially in areas like shopping and traveling.
The search feature will be available on the ChatGPT site and on all desktop and mobile apps. ChatGPT Plus and Team users along with anyone on the SearchGPT waitlist will have access starting today.
Enterprise and Education users will receive access in the next few weeks. Free users will be able to access the feature “over the coming months.”
Search will also arrive for users of the Advanced Voice feature that rolled out to more users last month.
Should Google Be Worried?
While ChatGPT Search is in its early stage, it’s obvious that OpenAI will continue to improve its capabilities while rolling it out to more users. It’s been a little less than two years since ChatGPT launched in November 2022, but the amount of new features and improvements has been staggering to see in just a short time.
Just recently, ChatGPT has made the chatbot much more than something that can answer questions. In the OpenAI o1-preview, the chatbot can now use reasoning and advanced problem-solving capabilities.
While Google’s search feature has yet to be rivaled, OpenAI has the technology, and cash, to bring search and AI together for a long-term winning combination.
