OpenAI is ready to jump into the web search market with ChatGPT Search

OpenAI has launched ChatGPT search, a new model based on a GPT-4o fine-tune and which can provide answers expressed in natural language and is grounded on up-to-date information from relevant web sources. According to OpenAI, this makes ChatGPT ideal as a replacement for traditional web searches, which, the company claims, can take up a lot of effort if one is looking for useful answers. In addition to enriching responses with relevant information from external sources, ChatGPT can take follow-up questions and answer them taking the whole conversation as context.

ChatGPT search delivers on the plan to take the best features of the SearchGPT prototype to integrate them into ChatGPT. But ChatGPT search also goes beyond its predecessor in some aspects, for instance, ChatGPT search can determine whether a query requires a web search, or users can tell ChatGPT to perform a one with the 'Search' button. Similarly, when SearchGPT launched, OpenAI remarked it was collaborating with publishers to find the best ways to display their content. The work seems to have paid off, with ChatGPT featuring different ways of displaying topics for which OpenAI has a partnership, including weather, stocks, sports, news and maps.

These specific views contain information sourced from OpenAI's data and information partners, prominently displaying the sources for the information. Queries outside of these topics feature a visual design similar to the one debuted with SearchGPT. In addition to displaying inline attributions and links, a 'Sources' button launches a side panel containing the references for that ChatGPT response.

According to the launch announcement, OpenAI expects that ChatGPT search will provide a new way for users to engage with and discover new content, while also serving as a new avenue for publishers and websites to reach new audiences. If the recent episode in Perplexity AI's seemingly neverending controversies has taught us anything, it is that the line between promoting third-party content and cannibalizing their traffic is quite fine, and should be treaded carefully. While there are some aspects that clearly differentiate OpenAI's approach from some of its competitors', it is still the case that the primary aim of ChatGPT search is to increase engagement with the chatbot, rather than with traditional search engines, and, in some cases, the website that the displayed content came from.

ChatGPT search is already available for ChatGPT Pro and Team users, as well as users in the SearchGPT waitlist. Access for Edu and Enterprise users will be enabled in a few weeks, and Free user access will be rolled out eventually.