OpenAI has officially launched ChatGPT’s new search feature, bringing real-time web search to its popular chatbot and making it a stronger competitor to major search engines like Google, Bing, and Perplexity. Originally tested in July as “SearchGPT,” the feature is now integrated into ChatGPT and offers users up-to-date information on sports, stock quotes, weather, news, and more through partnerships with leading news and data providers.
The launch is significant, as OpenAI’s expanding presence in the search industry could impact Google’s dominance. Alphabet investors have expressed concerns that ChatGPT’s conversational, intuitive search experience might start to pull users away from traditional search engines.
OpenAI’s development of ChatGPT search also hints at new dynamics with Microsoft, its largest backer, which has invested nearly $14 billion in the company. Despite this partnership, ChatGPT’s new capabilities overlap with Microsoft’s Bing and other AI offerings, such as Copilot. Srinivas Narayanan, OpenAI’s engineering VP, confirmed in a Reddit AMA that Bing powers part of ChatGPT search alongside other services.
Sam Altman, OpenAI’s CEO, has called search his “favorite feature” since ChatGPT’s launch, noting that it allows users to ask questions naturally and ask follow-ups. Altman envisions a future where search queries could even produce custom web pages in response, offering a more dynamic and interactive experience.
The rollout includes access for ChatGPT Plus and Team users, and waitlisted SearchGPT users starting today, with broader access for ChatGPT Enterprise, Edu, and free-tier users planned in the coming months. OpenAI has collaborated with major news outlets like The Associated Press, Reuters, and The Atlantic to provide source links, adding transparency to ChatGPT’s responses.
This launch follows OpenAI’s latest funding round, closing at a valuation of $157 billion, alongside a $4 billion credit line. The company, valued at over $10 billion in liquidity, expects a $5 billion operating loss this year, signaling the high costs associated with its aggressive growth and innovation in AI-driven search technology.