OpenAI has announced the introduction of a new search functionality for its flagship product, ChatGPT, aiming to intensify competition with Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc. The feature, named "ChatGPT Search," will allow users to access real-time information in a manner similar to traditional web searches, providing access to news and other attributed data sources.
The prototype of this search feature, called SearchGPT, was initially launched in July as a separate application from ChatGPT and was only available to a select group of users. This new capability utilizes OpenAI's 4o model and is initially available to paid ChatGPT Plus and Team users on both mobile and web platforms. Enterprise and educational customers will gain access in the coming weeks, with free users expected to be included in the following months.
Since the remarkable success of ChatGPT at the end of 2022, technology companies have been eager to integrate generative AI into a multitude of services, including online search. OpenAI's supporters, Microsoft and Google, have already revamped their search products to incorporate more conversational AI features. Following the announcement, Alphabet's stock saw a decline of over 1%.
