OpenAI Introduces Search Feature to ChatGPT for Real-Time Information

OpenAI has introduced a powerful new search feature to ChatGPT, providing real-time analytics and web information in the chatbot interface. The new feature, announced on October 31, is expected to significantly improve the user experience by giving ChatGPT the ability to access the latest information from the Internet. The update positions OpenAI as a strong competitor to search giants Google and Bing, as well as new artificial intelligence search services such as Perplexity, backed by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and semiconductor giant Nvidia.

Previously, ChatGPT operated as a standalone AI language model without direct access to the Internet, meaning its responses were based solely on a pre-established knowledge base. Now the new search feature allows ChatGPT to deliver fast, accurate and relevant information from web sources in real time. OpenAI has confirmed that the model is fine-tuned to detect when a query requires information in real time, and will autonomously activate its search capabilities to gather information from the Internet when necessary.

“ChatGPT search uses third-party search providers, as well as content provided directly by our partners, to provide the information users are looking for,” OpenAI noted in a blog post. This feature will initially be available to ChatGPT Plus and Team subscribers. A gradual rollout for free users is planned over the coming months. Additionally, enterprise and educational customers can expect access to this feature in the near future.

OpenAI’s search model is based on the GPT-4o engine, and the company has content partnerships with several prominent publishers, including Condé Nast, Time magazine, Financial Times, Axel Springer, Le Monde and Prisa Media. OpenAI says these partnerships provided valuable information that helped shape the search feature. The company highlighted its partnership with the news industry by giving publishers control over whether their content appears in ChatGPT search results.

The use of this search feature is intended to make ChatGPT a more sophisticated application, especially for professionals, students and businesses that require up-to-date data in their operations. While OpenAI developed a prototype of SearchGPT, an AI-integrated search tool, in July, this new feature highlights the most significant search improvement in the chatbot’s centralized interface.

On the other hand, OpenAI also raised $6.6 billion in early October, raising its valuation to around $157 billion and making it the world’s most valuable private IT company. Given this development, OpenAI appears to be in the right position to change the status quo of AI-enabled search technologies and spark further competition with the industry currently led by Google and Microsoft.