OpenAI recently launched its new ChatGPT Search application for paying users of the chatbot. Search expands the capabilities of the AI chatbot, including the ability to provide quick answers with relevant links to sources. Is the new ChatGPT Search a threat to the major search engine Google? In this blog, we’ll explore this topic further!
What does ChatGPT Search bring to the table to compete with Google?
Of course, ChatGPT has long been used to perform searches in a similar way to how we would use Google. However, its capabilities in this regard were still limited. For example, the search function did not yet provide links to external sources, and search results were displayed only as text. ChatGPT Search not only provides answers in text but also includes links to external sources relevant to your query and, where possible, even photos, images, and visual data—such as graphs or tables. This makes the application a much stronger competitor to Google than it was before.
ChatGPT Search is an AI chatbot that cites sources
So ChatGPT actually offers real added value compared to Google, just like the AI bot Perplexity. After all, you don’t just get an answer to your question, but also a full list of sources with various links, so you can verify whether the answer is actually correct. This solves a major issue people have with using ChatGPT: you can never be sure if the answer it provides is accurate or where it gets its information from. OpenAI also recently announced that it has partnered with several companies to provide up-to-date information on topics such as the weather, sports scores, locations, and the news.
When will ChatGPT Search be available to everyone?
According to OpenAI, their search feature is now ready for the general public, but when will we all be able to use ChatGPT Search? Basically, starting right now! You can set ChatGPT as your default search engine if you want, instead of Google. In the Google Chrome browser, you can install an extension for this. The search feature is coming to the ChatGPT website and all apps. If you were on the waiting list for ChatGPT Search or have a ChatGPT Plus or Team account, you can start using the new feature right away. If you have an Enterprise or Edu account, the feature will become available to you sometime in the coming weeks. As a free user, you’ll have to wait a few more months, but eventually, everyone will be able to use ChatGPT Search instead of Google if they want!