OpenAI Introduces Web Search Feature In ChatGPT

OpenAI has announced a new feature in ChatGPT that lets users search the web for real-time information. This tool allows ChatGPT to determine when to perform a web search based on the user’s queries, alternatively, users can choose to initiate a search manually by clicking an icon.

The company introduced a separate web search prototype in July, and those features are now integrated directly into the chatbot.

This new search feature is available for ChatGPT Plus and Team users, as well as those on the SearchGPT waitlist. Enterprise and educational users will get access in the next few weeks, and free users will be able to use it in the coming months.

Users can ask questions in a conversational style, and ChatGPT can enhance its responses by retrieving information from the web. Follow-up questions allow the AI to consider the entire context of the discussion for more tailored answers.

OpenAI has teamed up with various news and data providers, like the Associated Press and Reuters, to provide current information in various categories. The feature also includes links to sources, allowing users to check out more details related to their questions.

This search tool is built on a refined version of GPT-4o, using advanced techniques to improve its capabilities. OpenAI plans to keep enhancing the search experience, especially in areas like shopping and travel.

As of now, ChatGPT can remember things about users for later. It does this automatically at times or can be prompted to do so. The new search tool doesn’t have memory capabilities yet, meaning each search starts fresh.

However, Adam Fry, OpenAI’s product lead for search, stated that this feature should be available in the next few quarters, enabling OpenAI to provide more personalized results based on what it knows, as reported by MIT Technology Review.

This launch is happening as tech giants ramp up their AI search efforts. Meta is reportedly working on its own AI search solution, while Google has recently expanded its AI overview feature to over 100 countries, as pointed out by The Verge.