OpenAI, which sparked the artificial intelligence (AI) boom with the launch of ChatGPT, has now unveiled an interactive search engine. It is expected to pose a direct threat to Google, which has long dominated the search market. The stock price of Alphabet, Google's parent company, closed down nearly 3%.
On the 25th (local time), OpenAI introduced its AI-based proprietary search engine, 'SearchGPT,' for the first time. It is characterized by quickly answering users' questions based on the latest information obtained from the web while also providing clear links to relevant sources.
OpenAI stated, "Often, obtaining answers from the web required multiple attempts with keyword searches," adding, "SearchGPT is a new search feature designed to combine web information and the strengths of AI models to present clear and relevant sources and provide fast and timely answers." The company also noted that it allows follow-up questions and can maintain context as if conversing with a person.
This is a prototype version for feedback and is initially available only to some users who have signed up on the waiting list. OpenAI plans to integrate the SearchGPT feature into ChatGPT later on.
To build the search engine, OpenAI has also signed content usage agreements with major media parent companies such as News Corp, which owns The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), and Time. Robert Thomson, CEO of News Corp, said, "OpenAI understands that for AI search to be effective, it must be based on the highest quality information provided by trusted sources."
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, stated on his X (formerly Twitter) account that day, "We believe there is room to create search that is much better than what currently exists."
The launch of the conversational search service SearchGPT is expected to pose a significant threat to Google, which controls nearly 90% of the global search market. Since the ChatGPT boom began, concerns have been growing among investors in Google Alphabet that Google's dominance in the search market is gradually weakening. Local media pointed out that the newly released SearchGPT prototype is a continuation of these concerns.
Google announced a search engine equipped with its AI model Gemini in May, but the response was underwhelming. Instead, repeated errors highlighted the phenomenon of AI providing incorrect answers, known as "hallucination," stirring controversy. On this day, Alphabet's stock price on the New York Stock Exchange closed down nearly 3% compared to the previous session.
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