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OpenAI launches SearchGPT – here’s what it can do and how to access it

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OpenAI transformed the artificial intelligence (AI) market with the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022, unleashing a new era of generative AI developments. Now, OpenAI is shaking up the search engine market, too. 

On Thursday, OpenAI unveiled SearchGPT, OpenAI’s AI-powered search engine, which has awareness of current events through internet access. Even though the search experience is currently a prototype, OpenAI does plan to integrate the best features directly into ChatGPT in the future. 

SearchGPT allows users to enter a search query as they would with any search engine. However, its major difference from a traditional search engine is that the chatbot’s outputs include a conversational response with real-time information pulled from the web. 

Also: How to use ChatGPT

Similarly to the Browse feature in ChatGPT, when SearchGPT outputs an answer, it will have a link to the site it pulled from in parentheses to facilitate fact-checking and research. If users still want to see a more traditional search engine results page, they will be able to click the “link” icon on the left sidebar. This will display a list of web pages and links next to the conversational response.  

Users will also be able to ask follow-up questions, which help them get the answer they want without having to click multiple different links or enter a new prompt. 

The feature is available now to a small group of users and publishers as OpenAI collects feedback. However, if you want to try the prototype, you can join the waitlist here. 

To address concerns that AI search engines could potentially harm publishers by causing fewer people to visit their web pages, OpenAI says that SearchGPT was designed to connect publishers and users with proper attribution, linking, and citing. In the release, OpenAI also reassures the public that it is working closer with publishers to build the experience in a mutually beneficial way. 

Publishers will also be able to manage how they appear in SearchGPT, giving them more control over their participation in the experience. Additionally, because this experience is separate from OpenAI’s foundational models, publishers can choose not to have their content used for training its generative AI models while still having their web pages appear on the SearchGPT results. 

So, when SearchGPT’s best features are added to ChatGPT, will it be enough to sway people away from Google, which dominates the search engine space with a 91.62% share as of February 2024, according to reports? Time will tell. 

Also: How does ChatGPT work?

Even though SearchGPT functions a lot like a traditional search engine, OpenAI has made it clear in the past that it’s not interested in creating another search engine. 

“I don’t think the world needs another copy of Google,” said Sam Altman on the Lex Fridman podcast earlier this year.

Rather, OpenAI has set its sights on integrating search into ChatGPT to elevate the chatbot’s capabilities and build on what the tool currently offers. The company believes this area is where it will see more success and users to integrate ChatGPT into their lives even further. 

Users who already use ChatGPT consistently will be incentivized to use ChatGPT more. They can have the same experience they know and love on ChatGPT, including its conversational responses, but with the bonus of what search engines currently offer. 

Microsoft took a stab at adding generative AI to search with its Copilot integration into Bing in September 2023, and the results have been positive. In a Q3 2024 earnings call, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced that Bing reached over 140 million daily active users, which marked a gain of over 40 million users in a year. This growth can be partially attributed to the tech giant’s Copilot efforts. 

Also: The best AI search engines of 2024: Google, Perplexity, and more

Similarly, Perplexity, an AI-powered search engine, has gained 10 million active monthly users and a $1 billion evaluation, according to reports. However, it is worth noting that neither company has come close to threatening Google’s search dominance despite the growth of these AI-based search engines.

Google has continuously introduced updates to its search engine to keep up with the AI boom. The company announced its Search Generative Experience (SGE) at Google I/O last year. At Google I/O this year, Google rolled out AI-generated overviews widely. 

However, Google had to readjust its AI Search strategy because of user complaints and problems with AI overview citations. Now, reports show that its AI overviews are showing up on 70% fewer search pages.   

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