What is SearchGPT? OpenAI’s New AI-Powered Search Engine Explained
OpenAI has added a new groundbreaking project to its lineup: SearchGPT. This AI-powered search engine, designed to compete with Google and Perplexity, aims to provide users with real-time access to information across the internet. Currently available as a prototype for a limited number of users, SearchGPT is planned to be integrated into ChatGPT in the future.
SearchGPT Prototype
SearchGPT is being tested as a temporary prototype featuring new AI search capabilities that provide fast and timely answers with clear and relevant sources. The prototype is being launched to a small group of users and publishers to gather feedback. Although this version is temporary, OpenAI plans to integrate the best features directly into ChatGPT in the future. If you’re interested in trying the prototype, you can sign up for the waitlist.
A New Way to Search
Getting answers on the web can take a lot of effort, often requiring multiple attempts to get relevant results. OpenAI believes that by enhancing the conversational capabilities of their models with real-time information from the web, finding what you’re looking for can be faster and easier.
Designed to Give You an Answer
SearchGPT quickly and directly responds to your questions with up-to-date information from the web, while providing clear links to relevant sources. You’ll be able to ask follow-up questions, just like in a conversation with a person, with shared context building with each query.
Partnering with Publishers and Creators
OpenAI is committed to supporting a thriving ecosystem of publishers and creators. They hope to help users discover publisher sites and experiences while bringing more choice to search. For decades, search has been a foundational way for publishers and creators to reach users. Now, OpenAI is using AI to enhance this experience by highlighting high-quality content in a conversational interface with multiple opportunities for users to engage.
Nicholas Thompson, CEO of The Atlantic, stated, “AI search is going to become one of the key ways that people navigate the internet, and it’s crucial, in these early days, that the technology is built in a way that values, respects, and protects journalism and publishers. We look forward to partnering with OpenAI in the process, and creating a new way for readers to discover The Atlantic.”
SearchGPT is designed to help users connect with publishers by prominently citing and linking to them in searches. Responses have clear, in-line, named attribution and links so users know where information is coming from and can quickly engage with even more results in a sidebar with source links.
Collaboration with Publishers
OpenAI has partnered with publishers to build this experience and continues to seek their feedback. In addition to launching the SearchGPT prototype, OpenAI is also launching a way for publishers to manage how they appear in SearchGPT, giving them more choices. Importantly, SearchGPT is about search and is separate from training OpenAI’s generative AI foundation models. Sites can be surfaced in search results even if they opt out of generative AI training.
Robert Thomson, Chief Executive of News Corp, commented, “Sam and the truly talented team at OpenAI innately understand that for AI-powered search to be effective, it must be founded on the highest-quality, most reliable information furnished by trusted sources. For the heavens to be in equilibrium, the relationship between technology and content must be symbiotic and provenance must be protected.”
What Comes Next
OpenAI plans to keep improving the experience in areas like local information and commerce. They also plan to get feedback on the prototype from users and publishers and bring the best of the experience into ChatGPT. If you’re interested in trying SearchGPT, you can sign up for the waitlist.
This article aims to provide an overview of OpenAI’s new search engine, SearchGPT, and explore how this innovative technology could revolutionize the way we access information on the internet.
Were you able to try out SearchGPT yet? What are your thoughts on AI-powered search engines?
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Thank you for reading.
