OpenAI has officially expanded its ChatGPT-powered internet search to all users, marking a significant challenge to Google’s long-standing dominance in the search engine market. Previously exclusive to paying subscribers, this new feature is now available to all logged-in free users of ChatGPT. This upgrade allows users to receive fast, real-time answers, complete with links to relevant web sources, effectively transforming ChatGPT into an interactive search tool.
The search integration is part of OpenAI’s broader efforts to enhance the AI chatbot’s capabilities, providing up-to-date information sourced from across the web. Kevin Weil, OpenAI’s Chief Product Officer, confirmed that the feature would be available globally on all platforms where ChatGPT is accessible. The new search interface is designed to resemble traditional search engine results, similar to those of Google and Google Maps, but without the distraction of advertisements.
Unlike Google’s traditional search engine, OpenAI’s ChatGPT does not redirect users to external websites for answers. Instead, the AI directly delivers search results, citing the sources used for each response. This positions ChatGPT as a conversational search engine, following in the footsteps of other AI-driven platforms like Perplexity, which also offer web-sourced answers in a more user-friendly, dialogue-based format.
The rollout of ChatGPT’s search functionality signals OpenAI’s strategic push to capture a greater share of the search market. This move raises questions about the company’s ongoing relationship with Microsoft, a major investor in OpenAI. Microsoft, which has been pushing its Bing search engine and AI tools in competition with Google, may find its partnership with OpenAI playing a crucial role in challenging Google’s dominance in search. However, the new feature also introduces increased computational demands and costs for OpenAI, further complicating the competitive landscape.
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