OpenAI integrates web search into ChatGPT, directly challenging Google

OpenAI has officially launched web search capabilities in ChatGPT, turning its conversational AI into a powerful search competitor. The integration is primarily available to paid subscribers and users on the SearchGPT waitlist, with wider rollout planned for free, enterprise and educational users in the coming weeks.

“Chat can now help you get a better answer: ask a question in a more natural and conversational way, and ChatGPT can respond with information from the Internet,” OpenAI said in its official announcement. “Ask additional questions deeper and ChatGPT will look at the entire context of your chat to get the best answer.”

(We compared it to Google Search and Perplexity, which are generally considered among the best generative AI search engines, and found the new service to be very competitive in terms of accuracy and overall a great addition to OpenAI’s already diverse set of high-end tools .quality AI services.

The launch follows months of speculation and strategic positioning. In July, OpenAI tested the waters with a prototype released to 10,000 users that sent shockwaves through the tech industry, sending shares of Microsoft and Alphabet down 3% on the day of the announcement. Since then, the company has quietly built up its search capabilities, even trying to recruit talent from Google’s ranks.

OpenAI has also struck deals with major media organizations, including big names like Axel Springer and News Corp. These partnerships don’t guarantee priority positioning in search results, but they do establish clear attribution protocols and give publishers more control over how content appears. in ChatGPT responses. Publishers can opt out of using OpenAI’s web crawler, which doesn’t bypass paywalls, a vulnerability that was discovered when ChatGPT used Microsoft’s Bing to crawl web pages last year.

Behind the scenes, search integration brings together several technologies, including Microsoft Bing. “The search model is a refined version of GPT-4o processed using new synthetic data generation techniques, including distillation of OpenAI o1 preview results,” OpenAI said on Thursday. “ChatGPT Search uses third-party search providers, as well as content provided directly by our partners, to deliver the information users are looking for.”

To make matters worse, there is even a Google Chrome extension that allows you to use SearchGPT as your default search engine.

The launch marks a significant shift in OpenAI’s competitive positioning. While Google recently expanded its AI review feature to over 100 countries and Meta is reportedly developing its own AI search solution, ChatGPT’s integration of web search with conversational AI capabilities creates a unique user experience.

Unlike Google and Bing, ChatGPT’s search feature focuses on natural language interaction, meaning users can directly interact with the model after a query and it will understand the users’ context and intent. This is similar to what other AI search engines like Perplexity or You.com offer.

Testing SearchGPT OpenAI

So how can you stand out from your competitors?

We tested this feature in different use cases and these were our observations when comparing it with Google (the best search engine in the world) and Perplexity (the best search engine in the world based on generative artificial intelligence, according to various reviews).

Data presentation

Prompt: “What is the price of Bitcoin?”

We ask models about the price of Bitcoin. It is important to note that the journalist writing this article is based in Brazil.

The information was accurate. The way it was presented changed.

Google was the fastest to provide results, completing the task almost instantly. He showed a basic price chart with price in USD using his price chart tracker. He also provided additional information and the usual set of follow-up questions.

Below is a list of the most current price trackers in the industry.

On the other hand, perplexity not only provided a graph but also answered the question in natural language.

Below the chart is a list of suggestions with additional questions to help you better understand Bitcoin price and forecasts.

SearchGPT did not provide a graph and its response was text only. However, this was the most complete answer among the three results.

It was also the only engine that detected my location and displayed the price in both US dollars and Brazilian reals, a feature that can be extremely useful for foreign users.

Finding complex local services and understanding multiple contexts

Tip: Find a physiotherapist who specializes in sports injuries, who speaks Spanish or English in addition to Portuguese and is open after 2:00 pm near the center of Porto Alegre, Brazil.

We wanted to test how well the models handle searches that combine different contexts. In this example, a result showing all physical therapists in Brazil would not be meaningful because each term significantly narrows the search area.

As expected, Google didn’t do a very good job with the prompt, so we had to adapt it to a shorter prompt that targeted a specific keyword.

“Sports Injury Physiotherapist, Spanish, English, Porto Alegre, Brazil” really worked.
The first was a LinkedIn page for a professional who met our standards but couldn’t speak another language. Google even clarified that the search did not include the word “Spanish.”

The following results were simply a list of professionals listed in Google Places, which relates to location and availability, but does not vary by language or experience.
It’s important to note that Google presents information without stating that it exactly matches the search query.

SearchGPT did a search on Google Places and returned good results, showing sports doctors, including one who worked at the Olympics. However, he said his results showed bilingual doctors, which is not true.

Perplexity also failed to provide a perfect match, but all things considered, it was the most accurate of the three. It was able to provide physical therapists who specialized in sports and were fluent in Spanish or Portuguese in addition to English. However, the results were not related to location.

But this is where the additional issues of Perplexity come into play. Even if it didn’t matter, one of the questions suggested was to do the search regardless of location. This could be a good way to get a good second place in terms of accuracy.

Censorship

Fast: Best Adult Sites for Latin Fans

We then tested whether the models were able to provide sensitive information or not.

SearchGPT immediately refused to return results. Even from a web search perspective, the model is heavily censored.

Perplexity was able to provide an answer, even providing additional details such as subscription costs and reasons to support its decision. Culture search engine.

Google has identified a better approach. It has a SafeSearch filter that users can enable or disable as needed. When it was activated it showed no results. When disabled, instead of directly displaying adult websites, articles are displayed in a list view that discuss the topic in a more general and less explicit manner.

Conclusion

For existing ChatGPT Plus subscribers, the new search integration is a great addition that will transform your subscription into an all-in-one AI tool. The ability to seamlessly switch between creative tasks, coding, image creation and web searches makes it an effective option for advanced users who are already taking advantage of ChatGPT’s various capabilities.

However, since Perplexity offers similar functionality for free, it remains the king of AI-powered generative web search for now if you consider that functionality alone.

Perplexity remains the preferred option for:

• Users are primarily focused on research and information seeking.
• Those who prefer specialized search using artificial intelligence without a subscription fee.
• Students and teachers who need to work with AI after an initial consultation with follow-up ideas.
• Users who want unlimited access to different types of content.

Google is still good for:

• • Regular users looking for quick and direct answers
  • Local business search and map integration
  • Shopping queries with a complete list of products
  • Users who prefer traditional search engine features and ad-supported content.
  • Strange users who for some reason like advertising

The choice between them ultimately depends on whether users prioritize specialized search capabilities or prefer a feature-rich AI assistant that uses search as one of its many functions.