OpenAI Challenges Gemini, Rolls Out ChatGPT Search Feature for All Users

OpenAI announced on Monday the expansion of its ChatGPT internet search feature to all users, previously available only to paying subscribers since its launch in late October.

The search-enabled ChatGPT now provides free users with real-time access to information across the web.

“We’re bringing search to all logged-in free users of ChatGPT,” OpenAI Chief Product Officer Kevin Weil said in a YouTube video.
“That means it’ll be available globally on every platform where you use ChatGPT,” he added.

The new functionality, integrated directly into ChatGPT rather than as a separate product, offers users “fast, timely answers” with links to web sources, according to OpenAI.

This upgrade eliminates one step that users need to do in the form of manual copying of website content to have their ChatGPT conversation analyzed.

Moreover, the new feature reduces reliance on traditional search engines, allowing users to pull real-time data directly within the chatbot interface.

OpenAI’s Chief Product Officer Adam Fry highlighted the enhanced experience in the announcement video.

“We’re really just making the ChatGPT experience that you know better with up-to-date information from the web. We’re rolling this out to hundreds of millions of users, starting today,” Fry said.

The search feature offers an interface similar to competitors like Google, presenting conversational-style responses alongside cited sources. Unlike Google’s ad-laden results pages, the interface is streamlined and clutter-free.

Previously, AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Anthropic’s Claude were limited by static datasets from a set duration, offering responses that were often outdated.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is positioning the company as a significant player in the internet ecosystem. In a recent funding round, the company achieved a valuation of $157 billion, attracting investments from Microsoft, SoftBank, and Nvidia. (GFB)