ChatGPT turns into a real-time web search engine

OpenAI has introduced a new real-time web search feature for its ChatGPT artificial intelligence, currently available to subscribers and rolling out to enterprise and educational users in the coming weeks. The integration represents a strategic step that aims to bridge the competitive gap with other AI platforms such as Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini, finally offering access to up-to-date information within ChatGPT conversations. The search function will not be on a separate platform but will integrate seamlessly into the interface already known to ChatGPT users. The feature can be activated automatically based on request or manually by users. Adam Fry, head of research at ChatGPT, showed the potential of the function with a demonstration in which he searched for news on Apple’s stock, obtaining interactive graphs and articles with clickable sources. The feature also offers a sidebar to scroll through sources, allowing users to quickly explore a variety of content. In another example, Fry searched for Italian restaurants in San Francisco, receiving an interactive map with restaurant recommendations and options to further filter the search.

Web search will be available on all ChatGPT platforms, including apps for iOS, Android, and macOS and Windows desktops. Fry said the underlying technology is supported by a combination of search technologies, including integration with Microsoft’s Bing, and that the version used is an advanced and refined version of the GPT-4 model. Previously, ChatGPT knowledge was limited to data trained through 2021 or 2023 depending on the version. However, with this new integration, OpenAI has specified that it will continue to update the training data, ensuring users constant access to the latest developments, albeit distinct from web search data. This development comes at a time of intense competition among tech giants to integrate artificial intelligence into online searches. Meta is developing its own AI search solution, while Google recently expanded its summary feature to over 100 countries. OpenAI, however, stands out for the absence of advertising within search results, a choice that Fry confirms will remain unchanged, despite the higher costs of AI search compared to traditional search.

Some challenges remain for AI-powered search services, including legal issues related to the use of content. OpenAI has partnered with numerous publishers to ensure responsible use of content, giving publishers more control but without automatic priority in search results. The feature is designed to comply with paywalls, and any publisher can choose to exclude their content from being crawled. Finally, ChatGPT’s new search functionality presents itself as a tool to improve the accuracy of AI responses. Fry believes that access to up-to-date information can reduce the risk of incorrect or incomplete answers, a problem known as “AI hallucination”, and that particular attention will be paid to requests for information relating to critical events such as elections.