OpenAI launches search engine that competes with Google

 

OpenAI announced on Thursday the launch of an Internet search engine that is an extension of its artificial intelligence interface "ChatGPT" and is expected to compete with "Google", which is a reference in this field.

The "ChatGPT Search" function will allow the "ChatGPT" programme, which will be integrated into it, not to be content with answering questions and requests with a limited amount of data collected in a database, as was the case until now, but to be able to search for items online.

"OpenAI" said in a statement that the user can "get quick and relevant answers by linking to appropriate sources on the web, which previously required the use of a search engine".

"OpenAI" also gives the user the ability to search the web directly, without relying on the ChatGPT interface.

A spokesman for the company told Agence France-Presse: "We rely on our (artificial intelligence-based) model to determine whether the source provides a good answer to the user's query".

The ChatGPT Search engine is now available to paid subscribers of ChatGPT Plus and ChatGPT Team. According to OpenAI, the search engine will be available for free in the coming months.

As part of this development, OpenAI has partnered with publishers and data providers to "add updated information" and adopt a special way of displaying information related to specific categories such as weather forecasts or game and sports results.

With ChatGPT Search, OpenAI aims to compete with Google in its core area of expertise, which is also one of the core areas of expertise of Microsoft, which owns 49 per cent of the startup's capital.

OpenAI's model is currently based on subscriptions, while Google's is almost entirely based on advertising.

Asked by AFP, an OpenAI spokesman said there were "no plans" to offer advertising on the new search engine.

Google added AI Overviews, a new AI feature to its search engine last spring that, like ChatGPT Search, provides a detailed answer to a query in everyday language.

Microsoft has added AI to its Bing search engine.