OpenAI Integrates Search Functionality into ChatGPT, Taking on Google

01.11.2024

OpenAI has announced a significant update to ChatGPT, enabling the chatbot to search the web for real-time information and provide answers based on its findings. This upgrade not only enhances the user experience but also positions OpenAI as a direct competitor to Google, offering an alternative means of accessing and consuming information online.

Starting Thursday, subscribers of ChatGPT Plus and Team will be able to activate a mode where the AI can respond to queries by summarizing the latest information from the web instead of relying on potentially outdated data. The new search functionality is powered by Microsoft’s Bing and includes sources from partner publishers like News Corp and the Associated Press.

This change aligns ChatGPT more closely with traditional search engines, potentially increasing its competitiveness against Google and other players in the field. As the market for AI-enhanced search tools grows, traditional publishers express concerns over how these innovations may disrupt their business models, especially as AI tools increasingly provide direct answers rather than directing users to their websites.

OpenAI’s head of media partnerships, Varun Shetty, noted that the search feature is designed to improve the relevance and accuracy of responses, reducing the likelihood of “hallucinations” in AI-generated text. The implementation of web-sourced results could encourage users to engage with content on publisher websites, as the AI-generated responses will include citations and links to the original sources.

As ChatGPT gains this new capability, it will be particularly timely for the upcoming U.S. presidential election, with OpenAI ensuring that queries related to election results will be sourced from reputable organizations like the Associated Press and Reuters. This focus on high-quality information aims to help combat misinformation during a critical period.