OpenAI has enhanced the capabilities of its popular AI chatbot, ChatGPT, by integrating new search functions directly into the model.
Announced on Thursday, this update positions OpenAI as a strong competitor in the search market, which has long been dominated by tech giants like Google. It now places OpenAI in competition with Microsoft’s Bing and newer platforms like Perplexity, an AI-powered search service backed by Jeff Bezos and Nvidia.
The new feature enables ChatGPT to search the web and provide relevant, up-to-date answers, complete with links to external sources.
How It Works
According to OpenAI, the model determines when to search based on user prompts, drawing on data from third-party search providers and content from established partners.
“ChatGPT search leverages third-party search providers, as well as content provided directly by our partners, to provide the information users are looking for,” OpenAI explained in a blog post.
The search function is built into a fine-tuned version of GPT-4 and is available to ChatGPT Plus and Team users starting Thursday. OpenAI plans to roll out the feature to enterprise and educational customers in the coming weeks and to free users gradually over the next few months.
Collaborations with Major Publishers
The AI company has secured content deals with major media organizations, including Condé Nast, Time Magazine, the Financial Times, Axel Springer (owner of Business Insider), France’s Le Monde, and Spain’s Prisa Media.
OpenAI emphasized that it has worked closely with these publishers to gather feedback on the search feature. Additionally, any website or publisher can opt to be included in ChatGPT search results.
This development follows OpenAI’s selective launch of a prototype called SearchGPT in July, which had real-time internet access capabilities.
As OpenAI moves deeper into the search market, it will be competing directly with Google’s established dominance, Microsoft’s investments in Bing, and emerging players in the AI search field.
What You Should Know
In October, OpenAI secured $6.6 billion in funding, pushing its valuation to an estimated $157 billion.
This funding round reinforces OpenAI’s position as one of the world’s most valuable private tech companies, with CEO Sam Altman leading the company’s ambitious projects in AI innovation.
The round was led by Thrive Capital, the venture capital firm headed by Josh Kushner, and included participation from investors like Khosla Ventures, Altimeter Capital, and Fidelity Management & Research Company. Other backers include Microsoft Corp., which has already invested $13 billion in OpenAI, and Nvidia Corp., whose powerful processors are central to the AI boom.
Additional global investors such as SoftBank Group Corp. and the new Abu Dhabi-based tech investment firm MGX also participated.
