ChatGPT has released its own search engine, called “ChatGPT Search,” aiming to challenge Google in a field it has dominated for years. OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, launched the tool to provide users with up-to-date information from across the internet. ChatGPT Search works similarly to Google by offering quick results for common queries. For example, searching “Chinese food” brings up local restaurant reviews, while looking up “Costa Rica vacation” shows travel advice and hotel options.
What sets ChatGPT Search apart is its focus on real-time information, like sports scores, stock prices, or weather updates, which can change instantly. ChatGPT Search then summarizes the findings and shows where the information came from. OpenAI also partnered with media companies like The Atlantic and The Wall Street Journal to include their content in search results. During a Reddit Q&A session, OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman praised the new search feature as a faster and easier way to find detailed information.
ChatGPT Search is backed by Bing, Microsoft’s search engine, as well as other unnamed engines. Microsoft is a key investor in OpenAI, and ChatGPT’s use of Bing’s technology flips their earlier strategy where Bing used ChatGPT to enhance its own search.
ChatGPT isn’t alone in challenging Google. Other AI-powered search engines, like the Jeff Bezos-backed Perplexity, are also trying to make an impact. Google itself has integrated its AI model Gemini to create summaries directly in its search results. While Google still holds about 91% of the search market, ChatGPT has made small strides. A recent survey by Evercore showed that 8% of people preferred ChatGPT over Google, up from just 1% a few months earlier.
Despite Google’s large lead, there is a sense in Silicon Valley that AI will reshape search engines in the future. OpenAI’s chief product officer, Kevin Weil, acknowledged on Reddit that it’s still early days for AI-powered search and encouraged user feedback to improve the new tool.
Source: fortune
