OpenAI has announced the launch of Search GPT, a new artificial intelligence search engine. This development marks OpenAI’s entry into the highly competitive search market, potentially challenging established companies like Google as well as emerging AI search tools like Perplexity.
SearchGPT is a major expansion of OpenAI’s product line, building on the success of the ChatGPT language model. The move comes at a time of growing interest in AI-enhanced search, with tech giants and startups alike racing to incorporate advanced AI into information retrieval systems.
What is SearchGPT?
SearchGPT is currently a prototype search engine that utilizes OpenAI’s high-level language model to provide a more intuitive search experience. Unlike traditional search engines that primarily return a list of links, SearchGPT attempts to organize and aggregate information from across the web.
The main features of SearchGPT include:
- A large text box prompting the user “What are you looking for?”
- A summary finding of the topic, with a short description followed by a link to the attribution
- Ability to ask follow-up questions
- Sidebars for accessing other related links
- “Visual Answers” feature, but details on this feature are limited at this time
OpenAI plans to eventually integrate SearchGPT’s functionality directly into ChatGPT, rather than keeping it as a standalone product. However, the company has not yet provided a specific timeline for this integration.
The prototype is currently limited to 10,000 beta users. openAI has not yet announced when or if SearchGPT will be available to the public.
The technology behind SearchGPT
SearchGPT is powered by OpenAI’s GPT-4 family of models, known for their advanced natural language processing capabilities. Designed to access and process real-time information from the Internet, the system addresses a key limitation of earlier AI language models.
To build search results, OpenAI is working with third-party partners and using direct content feeds. The company emphasizes collaborations with a variety of news partners, including affiliates of The Wall Street Journal, The Associated Press and Vox Media.
These partnerships serve multiple purposes:
- Improve the accuracy and reliability of search results
- Address potential copyright issues
- Provide a framework for fair content attribution
OpenAI says that publishers will have the right to control how their content is displayed in SearchGPT search results. They can choose not to allow their content to be used to train OpenAI’s models, but will still have their content displayed in search results. This approach appears to be a response to the criticism and legal challenges AI companies have faced recently for using copyrighted material for training purposes.
Potential benefits to users
SearchGPT aims to enhance the search experience in several ways:
- Improved search organization and summarization
SearchGPT not only provides a list of links, but also attempts to organize and summarize information. For example, when querying for music festivals, the engine provides a summary of results followed by a brief description of the event and attribution links. This approach saves users time by displaying key information upfront, thereby reducing the need to visit multiple sites.
- Enhanced user interaction through follow-up questions
The system allows users to ask follow-up questions after the initial results have appeared. This feature mimics a more natural and conversational way of searching for information and has the potential to make complex research tasks more intuitive and less time-consuming.
- Visual answering capabilities
While details are limited, OpenAI mentions a “visual answer” capability in SearchGPT. This could involve AI-generated images, as the company showed an example of a video generated using its Sora AI model. If implemented effectively, this feature could provide users with a rich representation of visual information to enhance understanding of complex topics.
Artificially intelligent search engines may fundamentally change the way people access and consume information online. Instead of navigating multiple websites, users may increasingly rely on AI-generated summaries and answers. This shift could have far-reaching implications for web traffic patterns and the broader digital economy.
As AI systems become more adept at summarizing and presenting information, there are concerns that this could affect users’ critical thinking skills and ability to evaluate sources of information. While AI search can make information more accessible, it has also raised questions about possible biases in AI-generated summaries and the importance of transparency in the operation of these systems.
The launch of SearchGPT is a significant development in the evolution of search technology. As OpenAI continues to refine and potentially expand access to the tool, its impact on user behavior, the publishing industry, and the broader digital landscape will be closely watched.
