ChatGPT Search: A Revolutionary Feature
OpenAI unveiled a pioneering option called ChatGPT Search. This feature allows users to search for timely information, similar to web browsing, and receive responses with in-line attribution to news publishers and other data sources. This novel approach was first presented in July as a prototype called SearchGPT. Initially, it was separate from the ChatGPT app and only accessible to a limited number of users.
ChatGPT Search is powered by OpenAI’s 4o model and will be rolled out first to paid ChatGPT Plus and Team users. The company’s enterprise and educational customers will have access to the features in the coming weeks, with free users expected to gain access in the coming months.
Boom of Generative AI in Tech Services
The success of ChatGPT in late 2022 saw a rush of tech companies, including Microsoft Corp. and Google, incorporating generative AI into various services. These services include, but are not limited to, online search. OpenAI is now ready to bring similar AI search functionality to the 250 million people who use the chatbot each week.
Varun Shetty, head of media partnerships at OpenAI, shared his thoughts on the development. “People want answers when they search for things, and getting an answer is difficult on the internet right now. We think that being able to ask in a conversational way with all of that relevant context and high-quality sources on the other side just makes this a better experience.”
ChatGPT Search in Action
In a pre-release demo, the OpenAI team used the feature to ask ChatGPT about weekend events in San Francisco. The app displayed a summary list of activities, sourced from local news websites. When asked a follow-up question about local restaurants, ChatGPT displayed a map listing local eateries.
Partnerships and Future Plans
OpenAI has been preparing for its search offering through various licensing deals with publishers, including News Corp., Axel Springer SE, Time magazine, and Le Monde. These partnerships enable OpenAI to provide more authoritative, up-to-date information within its products.
Louis Dreyfus, CEO of Le Monde, expressed optimism about the partnership. “We are convinced that AI search will be, in a near future and for the next generations, a primary way to access information, and partnering with OpenAI positions Le Monde at the forefront of this shift.”
However, OpenAI clarified that its tool won’t preference news publishers who partnered with the company. Any website or publisher can choose to appear in ChatGPT Search.
Challenges Ahead
Despite the promising outlook, OpenAI will need to address the risk of its new search tool inventing false answers to questions. After SearchGPT was introduced, for example, reporters noted that a demo for the product got the dates wrong for a festival.
The stakes are high for OpenAI and its rivals to provide accurate information, especially concerning the US election next week. On election day, OpenAI said ChatGPT users who ask about voting results will see a message encouraging them to check news sources like the Associated Press and Reuters, as well as their state or local election boards.
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