10:39 am - April 23, 2025
OpenAI has introduced a new search function in ChatGPT aimed at competing with Google’s dominance, albeit currently available only to paid subscribers, amidst ongoing legal challenges.
OpenAI, the company known for developing cutting-edge artificial intelligence technologies, has taken a significant step towards challenging the longstanding dominance of Google in the web search arena. The organisation has announced the integration of a new search function directly into its popular ChatGPT generative AI chatbot. This feature, however, is currently limited to paid subscribers, with plans to expand access to users of the free version in the future.
The new search function promises a different experience by allowing ChatGPT users to perform web searches seamlessly within the chat interface. OpenAI’s approach is poised to offer competition to Google by presenting search results via ChatGPT, which are reportedly similar in style to those seen on Google and Google Maps. Notably, these search results are devoid of the typical advertisements that are a common occurrence in Google’s listings.
Users who wish to leverage this feature can either have it enabled by default or manually activate it through a web search icon. This blend of search capability with conversational AI aims to provide an efficient and user-friendly information retrieval process.
Moreover, OpenAI is committed to enhancing the quality and relevance of its search results. As part of this effort, the company is engaging with website owners and publishers, offering them the option to appear in ChatGPT’s search results. To refine the system further, OpenAI is actively seeking feedback from content creators, which could guide future enhancements to the AI.
In a related development, OpenAI is currently facing legal challenges. The New York Times has filed a lawsuit against the company, alleging unauthorised scraping and linking of copyrighted content. This legal action highlights the growing tensions between AI developers and content owners regarding the use of proprietary materials.
OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, shared his enthusiasm for the new feature on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter). He remarked that search is his “favourite feature” that has been launched since ChatGPT was introduced in 2022. He expressed, in a separate Reddit post, his belief that the function provides a “faster/easier way to get the information I’m looking for.”
As OpenAI continues to roll out this feature and resolve ongoing legal hurdles, the tech world will be closely watching to see how this move affects the dynamics of web search, potentially offering an alternative to the current internet search powerhouse, Google.
Source: Noah Wire Services
- https://help.openai.com/en/articles/9237897-chatgpt-search – Corroborates the integration of the new search function into ChatGPT, its availability to paid subscribers, and the method of accessing the search feature.
- https://openai.com/index/introducing-chatgpt-search/ – Supports the announcement of ChatGPT search, its seamless integration into the chat interface, and the plans to expand access to free users.
- https://openai.com/index/introducing-chatgpt-search/ – Details the ad-free search results and the collaboration with news and data providers to enhance the search experience.
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkaTQgTZjoU – Explains the real-time web search capabilities, the role of Microsoft Bing, and the unique benefits of ChatGPT’s ad-free search.
- https://help.openai.com/en/articles/9237897-chatgpt-search – Describes how users can manually activate the search feature using the web search icon and the integration with conversational AI.
- https://openai.com/index/introducing-chatgpt-search/ – Mentions OpenAI’s engagement with website owners and publishers to improve the quality and relevance of search results.
- https://help.openai.com/en/articles/9237897-chatgpt-search – Provides information on how ChatGPT search results include links to sources, allowing users to learn more.
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkaTQgTZjoU – Discusses the impact of ChatGPT search on the AI search landscape and its potential to redefine information access.
- https://openai.com/index/introducing-chatgpt-search/ – Highlights OpenAI’s plans to improve search capabilities, particularly in areas like shopping and travel, and to leverage the reasoning capabilities of the OpenAI o1 series.
- https://help.openai.com/en/articles/9237897-chatgpt-search – Explains the privacy aspects, including the sharing of disassociated search queries with third-party search providers like Bing.
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