OpenAI has introduced SearchGPT, a prototype search engine leveraging generative AI to provide quick and easy answers in a conversational tone, with the potential to be integrated into OpenAI’s popular ChatGPT chatbot. This new tool aims to revolutionize search by gathering links and answering user queries, and will utilize data from publishers who have signed deals with OpenAI. Although no demo or interview about SearchGPT was provided, spokesperson Kayla Wood confirmed that the company has refined the tool based on feedback from select partners and publishers.
Microsoft, an early investor in OpenAI, had previously launched an AI-powered version of Bing using OpenAI’s language models in 2023, now rebranded as Copilot. Following Microsoft’s lead, several competitors, including Google and Perplexity, have launched their own AI search experiences. Google’s AI Overviews offer AI-generated summaries of articles, while Perplexity’s approach is more similar to SearchGPT, providing a chatbot with relevant links and enabling follow-up questions.
Despite early enthusiasm for ChatGPT as a potential web search replacement, large language models have limitations that make them imperfect for search tasks. These models often use outdated training data and can fabricate information when uncertain. Microsoft’s initial Bing AI search efforts faced issues with incorrect and inappropriate responses, resulting in only a modest market share increase. Google also encountered reliability problems with its AI Overviews, such as suggesting adding glue to pizza.
SearchGPT may employ retrieval augmented generation (RAG), an industry-standard approach for AI search designed to reduce the rate of hallucinations in chatbot answers. This method references trusted information sources while generating output and links back to the original data. However, concerns about potential copyright violations persist. Publications like WIRED have criticized Perplexity for replicating original journalism and disregarding content removal requests. OpenAI has committed to addressing these concerns by prominently citing and linking to publishers in SearchGPT results. Notably, companies like Vox Media, The Atlantic, News Corp, and the Financial Times have signed licensing agreements with OpenAI.
As OpenAI seeks new revenue streams amid the high costs of training larger AI models and launching new offerings, entering the web search market could help counter rival Google. Google, after developing its ChatGPT competitor Gemini, has integrated the technology into commercial products, including office software and Android. Richard Socher, CEO of You.com, highlights the challenges of developing a superior search tool and notes OpenAI’s shift from artificial general intelligence to commercial ventures, emphasizing the different mindset required for this transition.
