OpenAI challenges Google with new ChatGPT search

OpenAI has announced a set of new search features for its popular chatbot ChatGPT, the likes of which appear specifically designed to make the app more competitive with Google and other search engines.

In a blog post published Thursday, OpenAI announced new features that will allow users to search for “timely” information. Responses generated by ChatGPT will be accompanied by links to “relevant web sources,” the company announced. These links can be found by clicking the “Sources” button below the automatically generated answers, which will open a sidebar with the corresponding web pages. A prototype search functionality, called SearchGPT, was launched in July.

“ChatGPT can now search the web much better than before. You can get quick, timely responses with links to relevant web sources that you previously had to go to a search engine to find,” the company says in a blog post. “It combines the benefits of a natural language interface with up-to-date sports information, news, stock quotes and more.”

OpenAI also announced Friday that it has partnered with “news and data providers” to provide users with “up-to-date information and new visual designs for categories such as weather, stocks, sports, news and maps.” Organizations listed as partners in OpenAI’s work include Associated Press, Axel Springer, Condé Nast, Dotdash Meredith, Financial Times, GEDI, Hearst, Le Monde, News Corp, Prisa (El País), Reuters, The Atlantic, Time and Vox Media. .

The media partnership with OpenAI is controversial given the potential market competition its products pose to news organizations. The New York Times is currently suing OpenAI for copyright infringement and accusing the company of illegally using its materials.

OpenAI’s move here is funny. The obvious consequence is an attempt to make ChatGPT more like Google. However, Google is also trying to make its search engine more similar to ChatGPT. Earlier this year, the tech giant unveiled AI-generated answers to search queries as part of its push for greater AI integration. Implementation was not easy (the answers were often wrong and still are often wrong), but the AI ​​comments remained. OpenAI’s ChatGPT feature, coming a full five months after Google’s Answers feature, feels derivative and doesn’t seem to offer anything that Google doesn’t already offer. OpenAI says its app’s user base is growing, although it remains an open question whether web users will ever abandon Google in droves, as Sam Altman hopes.