OpenAI announced it is testing a new prototype called “SearchGPT,” aimed at combining its advanced AI models with real-time web information to deliver quick and relevant search query responses. This move is a direct challenge to Google’s market-leading search engine.
In a blog post, OpenAI revealed that SearchGPT is currently available to a select group of users and publishers for feedback. The insights gained from this testing phase will help refine the features before they are integrated into ChatGPT in the future.
SearchGPT allows users to interact through conversational queries, similar to speaking with a person, and includes the ability to ask follow-up questions. This conversational approach is designed to make the search experience more intuitive and user-friendly.
Recently, Google introduced AI-generated query result summaries, termed “Overviews,” which are displayed at the top of search results pages. These summaries aim to provide direct answers to user queries, raising concerns about reduced opportunities for traditional ad placements.
OpenAI’s SearchGPT appears to mirror Google’s Overviews in function. However, the company emphasizes that it is working closely with publishers to ensure that the new technology respects and protects journalistic content.
“AI search is going to become one of the key ways that people navigate the internet,” said Nicholas Thompson, CEO of The Atlantic, in OpenAI’s blog post. “It’s crucial that this technology is built to value, respect, and protect journalism and publishers.”
Since ChatGPT’s release in late 2022, there has been intense competition in the AI sector to develop generative AI tools capable of creating text, images, and other content from simple prompts.
“We are innovating at every layer of the AI stack,” Google CEO Sundar Pichai stated during a recent earnings call for Alphabet.
OpenAI has invited interested users to join a waitlist to try SearchGPT, signaling its commitment to expanding the reach and functionality of AI-powered search.
