OpenAI introduces SearchGPT, a new search feature integrated into its ChatGPT models, allowing users to perform complex searches through an interactive conversational interface. This positions SearchGPT as a potential competitor to established search engines like Google and Bing, offering a unique, conversational approach to finding information.
Real-Time Access to Essential Information
Designed to provide up-to-the-minute access to sports scores, stock prices, news, weather forecasts, and more, SearchGPT relies on partnerships with prominent media and information entities, including The Associated Press, Reuters, Axel Springer, Condé Nast, Hearst, Dotdash Meredith, Financial Times, News Corp., Le Monde, The Atlantic, Time, and Vox Media. OpenAI emphasizes that what distinguishes SearchGPT is its ability to interpret queries in a natural, intuitive manner, enabling users to ask follow-up questions just as they would in a human conversation.
Transparency Through Source Links
One of the standout features of SearchGPT is the transparency it offers: the AI model provides links to articles and posts it consulted to generate responses. Users can easily access these sources through a “sources” button, ensuring they have direct access to the content behind the AI’s answers. The search model itself is an optimized version of OpenAI’s powerful GPT-4o model.
Availability and Rollout Plans
Starting today, SearchGPT is available to all ChatGPT Plus and Team users, as well as to those on SearchGPT’s waitlist. OpenAI has announced that ChatGPT Enterprise and Edu users will gain access in the coming weeks, with plans to extend the feature to free-tier ChatGPT users in the upcoming months.
A Threat to Google’s Dominance?
The launch of SearchGPT could challenge Google’s dominance in the search market. Since the release of ChatGPT in 2022, Alphabet investors have expressed concerns about OpenAI’s potential to disrupt Google’s market share by introducing alternative ways to access information. This move also sets OpenAI up as a direct competitor to Microsoft. Despite Microsoft’s $14 billion investment in OpenAI, the companies’ products now compete directly with Microsoft’s own AI tools, like Copilot and Bing.
Future Enhancements in Key Areas
In their blog post, OpenAI shared that it plans to expand SearchGPT’s capabilities, particularly in the areas of shopping and travel, leveraging the reasoning capabilities of the OpenAI o1 series for more complex research.
