Islamabad, Dec 17: OpenAI has announced a major update to its ChatGPT service, now making its AI-powered internet search available to all users. This move increases competition with Google, which has long dominated the search engine market.
Previously limited to paying subscribers, the search feature is now accessible to free users, allowing them to access real-time information from across the web. With this new functionality, ChatGPT can provide fast, up-to-date answers, including links to relevant web sources, a feature traditionally provided by search engines like Google.
Kevin Weil, OpenAI’s chief product officer, confirmed the update in a YouTube video, saying, “We’re bringing search to all logged-in free users of ChatGPT. This will be available globally on every platform where you use ChatGPT.”
The new interface closely resembles Google’s search results and Google Maps but differs by presenting cleaner results without advertisements. It also shares similarities with Perplexity, an AI-powered search engine known for delivering conversational versions of Google’s search results while citing sources for transparency.
Adam Fry, product lead for ChatGPT Search, explained the update’s purpose: “We’re making the ChatGPT experience you know better by integrating up-to-date information from the web.”
This change is part of OpenAI’s broader strategy to expand the use of its AI technology. By adding web search to ChatGPT, the company has significantly improved the chatbot’s utility. Users can now manually activate the search feature through a web search icon or have it enabled by default.
This addition addresses a key limitation for AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Anthropic’s Claude, which previously could not provide real-time information due to data cutoffs. Users now no longer need to rely on separate search engines like Google for current web content.
The integration is also significant due to OpenAI’s partnership with Microsoft, a major investor. Microsoft is working to expand the reach of its Bing search engine to challenge Google. This new feature in ChatGPT could strengthen OpenAI’s ties with Microsoft as both companies strive to challenge Google’s dominance in the search industry.
Sam Altman, OpenAI’s CEO, has been working to position the company as a major internet player, with its $157 billion valuation reflecting growing interest in AI technologies and their potential to transform industries. The recent funding round included investments from Microsoft, SoftBank, and Nvidia.
