The rumors were true: OpenAI was working on its own AI-based search engine. On Thursday, the company led by Sam Altman announced a prototype of SearchGPT, a new product that promises to provide “fast and timely answers with clear and relevant sources.”
This move hasn’t gone unnoticed, mainly because of the potential impact it could have on Google. The tech giant is the current leader in the search market and has been trying to keep up with the rise of AI for months. SearchGPT is presented as “a new way to search.”
SearchGPT, OpenAI’s Search Engine
OpenAI emphasizes that web search “can take a lot of effort,” often requiring multiple attempts to find the desired information. To address this, the company has developed SearchGPT, a search engine that leverages the conversational abilities of its models.
According to OpenAI, SearchGPT can access the latest information on the web in real-time. The aim is to provide users with a more straightforward search experience compared to traditional search engines. Additionally, users can ask follow-up questions to enhance their search experience.
With SearchGPT, OpenAI introduces an interactive search tool. You just need to type in a message about what you’re looking for, without worrying about using specific words, something we’ve used for decades to get the best results.
In a press release, OpenAI shares the following example:
In the image above, after searching for “music festivals in boone north carolina in august [sic],” SearchGPT provides a list of relevant results.
The tool shows each result with a brief description and relevant information, along with a link to the source of the information, which is important for web publications.
On the left side of the screen in the desktop version of the search engine, there’s a panel with several buttons. One of them takes you to the “links” or “sources.” This is where users can find the attributions to the answers or results provided.
However, we should note that SearchGPT not only supports text but also allows users to search for images or videos. The interface is currently clean and intuitive, but access to the platform isn’t yet available.
OpenAI’s new search tool is still in the prototype phase, which means it may undergo significant changes over time. Currently, it’s only accessible to a “small group of users and publishers.”
People interested in trying out SearchGPT can join a waiting list at https://chatgpt.com/search, but it’s uncertain how long the wait for access to this AI-powered search engine will be. We expect that OpenAI will eventually integrate the search engine directly into ChatGPT.
OpenAI states that its AI search engine is built based on agreements with publishers. “We are committed to a thriving ecosystem of publishers and creators,” the company says in its press release. In any case, OpenAI clarifies that this search engine is an independent product from its trained AI models.
This article was written by Javier Marquez and originally published in Spanish on Xataka.
Image | OpenAI
View 0 comments