OpenAI’s AI Search Update for ChatGPT: A Game-Changer or Just Another Player?
The Launch of ChatGPT Search
OpenAI has finally launched its AI search update for ChatGPT, just three months after announcing its SearchGPT prototype. The feature, referred to as "ChatGPT search" by product lead Adam Fry, is designed to make ChatGPT the best place to answer any question, including live information from the web.
A Crowded and Contenious Field
ChatGPT search enters a crowded and contentious field of AI search options, with competition from smaller startups like Perplexity and tech giants like Google with its AI Overview search results. In 2024, journalists have criticized both Google and Perplexity’s implementations of AI search for improperly copying aspects of original work and hallucinating fake information.
Content Licensing Deals
In the lead-up to ChatGPT’s search upgrade, OpenAI reached content licensing deals with multiple online publishers, including The Atlantic, Vox Media, and Condé Nast, WIRED’s parent company. These deals allow the AI startup to use publishers’ work to train its systems in exchange for a fee.
Testing the Update
I was anxious about the ramifications when I first saw my writing for WIRED referenced by ChatGPT back in 2023. After testing a prelaunch version of ChatGPT’s new AI search, it’s clear that OpenAI has made significant progress since its initial messy foray into web browsing, with more interactive elements and clearer attribution of its sources. I could see a subset of early adopters really latching on to the new ChatGPT search.
Room for Improvement
However, the product needs improvements before it’s able to truly compete with the dominance of Google for essential search experiences, such as online shopping. ChatGPT also makes some of the same mistakes as other AI search tools, such as hallucinating and citing incorrect information.
How to Use ChatGPT’s Search Tool
To immediately try out this update, you need to pay for one of OpenAI’s subscriptions. If you have the ChatGPT Plus plan for $20 a month or ChatGPT Teams through work, the new search experience should be available. OpenAI will likely roll this out to users who have Enterprise and Edu plans sometime later in November. Free users will have to wait the longest, likely until early next year.
ChatGPT Search is Powered by GPT-4o
ChatGPT search is powered by a custom version of GPT-4o, OpenAI’s recent generative model. It’s available to users through the ChatGPT website, mobile app (Android, Apple), and web app (Mac, Windows). In any country where ChatGPT is available, the AI search feature will likely be an option.
Conclusion
OpenAI’s AI search update for ChatGPT is an exciting development in the world of AI search. While it has made significant progress since its initial launch, there is still room for improvement before it can truly compete with the dominance of Google. With its custom version of GPT-4o and interactive elements, ChatGPT search has the potential to become a popular choice for users.
FAQs
Q: What is ChatGPT search?
A: ChatGPT search is a new AI search feature that allows users to search for information on the web using ChatGPT.
Q: Is ChatGPT search available to all users?
A: No, ChatGPT search is only available to users who have a paid subscription to ChatGPT, including ChatGPT Plus and ChatGPT Teams.
Q: How does ChatGPT search work?
A: ChatGPT search is powered by a custom version of GPT-4o, OpenAI’s recent generative model.
Q: Can I use ChatGPT search on my mobile device?
A: Yes, ChatGPT search is available on both Android and Apple mobile devices.
Q: When will free users be able to access ChatGPT search?
A: Free users will likely have to wait until early next year to access ChatGPT search.
