OpenAI is enhancing its competition with Google by extending ChatGPT’s search capabilities to all users, including those utilizing the free version. Announced on Monday, the upgrade allows the generative AI chatbot to pull real-time information from the web, delivering fast and relevant answers complete with links to sources. Previously, this feature was restricted to paying subscribers only.
Kevin Weil, OpenAI’s Chief Product Officer, revealed the news in a video, stating that search will now be globally accessible on all platforms where ChatGPT is used. OpenAI is positioning this as a cleaner, ad-free alternative to traditional search engines, integrating the feature directly into ChatGPT’s interface. Users can enable search by default or activate it manually through a web search icon.
Challenging Google’s dominance
The move intensifies competition in the search engine space, an area long dominated by Google. The ChatGPT interface closely mirrors elements of traditional search results while presenting answers conversationally, similar to AI search competitors like Perplexity. Unlike Google, however, ChatGPT presents results without the clutter of advertising.
By blending its natural language AI capabilities with real-time web search, OpenAI is offering an alternative that not only generates answers but also highlights source links for credibility. This upgrade bridges a gap for AI chatbots, which have historically been limited by knowledge cutoffs and outdated information.
The feature also raises questions about OpenAI’s relationship with Microsoft, its major investor. Microsoft, which integrates AI into its Bing search engine, is another key player challenging Google. The addition of search to ChatGPT increases the competitive pressure on both Google and Microsoft as AI becomes central to the future of search.
Big moves and bigger costs
OpenAI’s expansion is a bold step towards becoming an internet powerhouse. Under CEO Sam Altman’s leadership, the company recently achieved a colossal $157 billion valuation, with backing from heavyweights like Microsoft, SoftBank, and NVIDIA. Offering search to hundreds of millions of free users is likely to attract even more interest in ChatGPT, driving growth for OpenAI’s user base.
However, the cost of this expansion will be substantial. Real-time web searches require immense computing power, which adds significant costs. With computing demands already high, scaling up to support global search access will place even more pressure on OpenAI’s infrastructure.
Still, OpenAI seems undeterred, betting on the massive appeal of AI-enhanced search to solidify its position in the tech landscape. OpenAI is redefining how users interact with information online by seamlessly blending conversational AI with real-time search.
