ChatGPT Search allows chatbot users to search for information in real time, just like they would on the web. OpenAI released a prototype in July, independent of the ChatGPT app and available to a limited number of users.

The new search features – powered by OpenAI’s 4o model – will go live for ChatGPT Plus and Team users starting October 31 on web and mobile.

Enterprise andeducation customers get it for the next few weeks, and free users for the coming months.

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OpenAI challenges Google with search integration on ChatGPT. Photo: Bloomberg

After the great success of ChatGPT in late 2022, technology companies are racing to integrate generative AI into their services, including search.

Microsoft and Google have been revamping their search products to include more AI features. Meta, for example, is reportedly developing its own AI search solution, while Google recently expanded AI Overviews to more than 100 countries.

With ChatGPT Search, OpenAI will reach approximately 250 million chatbot users per week.

“People want answers when they search for something, but it’s hard to do that right now. It takes multiple searches and a lot of links,” Varun Shetty, OpenAI’s director of media partnerships, said in an interview with Bloomberg. “We think being able to ask in a conversational way with all the relevant context and high-quality sources will make that experience better.”

In a demo, OpenAI asked ChatGPT about weekend activities in San Francisco, USA. The app displayed summaries of activities from local news websites.

For the next question about restaurants, ChatGPT provides a map of dining locations.

OpenAI has laid the groundwork for its search product through a series of licensing deals with publishers, including News Corp, Axel Springer, Time, as well as European media outlets like Le Monde.

They allow startups to include more up-to-date, authoritative information. The company says that feedback from partners on ChatGPT Search has been a big help in determining the length of responses and press quotes.

Louis Dreyfus, CEO of Le Monde, believes that AI search will be the main way to access information in the near and long term.

OpenAI promises that the tool doesn’t favor partner publishers. Any website or publisher can choose to appear in ChatGPT Search. The company wants to make sure it’s useful to people looking for information.

“Search is a huge area and this is our first step. We need to spend a lot of time improving the experience and focus on shopping, travel , local,” Shetty said.

Still, like any generative AI product, OpenAI faces the risk that its new search engine will return incorrect answers. After SearchGPT was introduced, reporters noted that the demo returned the wrong date for a festival.

The stakes for OpenAI and its competitors are growing as the US election approaches. On Election Day, ChatGPT users searching for polling results will see messages encouraging them to check sources like the AP, Reuters, as well as local or state results, according to OpenAI.

(According to Bloomberg, The Verge)