# OpenAI Enters the Search Arena with ChatGPT Search: Essential Insights
In a development that has been in the works for a while, OpenAI has launched **ChatGPT Search**, a revolutionary feature aimed at directly competing with Google in the search engine domain. This change represents a notable evolution in how users engage with AI to find online information, merging conversational AI with conventional search capabilities. Here’s all you need to know about this groundbreaking feature.
## What Exactly is ChatGPT Search?
**ChatGPT Search** is an innovative add-on to OpenAI’s ChatGPT platform that lets users pose questions and obtain instant, relevant answers derived from the web. Unlike typical search engines that present users with a compilation of links, ChatGPT Search offers immediate, conversational replies, simplifying the process of locating the desired information without navigating through numerous web pages.
### Main Features of ChatGPT Search:
1. **Dialogue-Driven Search**: Users can converse naturally with ChatGPT, asking questions and receiving answers seamlessly.
2. **Sources Button**: A newly introduced “Sources” button enables users to verify the AI’s responses by accessing the websites and articles that informed the data.
3. **Gradual Rollout**: The feature is initially accessible to **Plus**, **Team**, and **SearchGPT waitlist** users, with intentions to extend availability to free users in the upcoming months.
4. **Follow-up Queries**: Users are enabled to inquire further, allowing the AI to consider the entire context of the dialogue in order to enhance its replies.
## How is ChatGPT Search Operated?
Upon opening the ChatGPT app (which can be used on both web and mobile platforms), users will see a new **globe icon** adjacent to the standard “Message ChatGPT” text box. This icon signifies the new search capability. OpenAI states that the AI will autonomously determine whether to conduct a web search based on the user’s question. Nonetheless, users can initiate a web search manually by selecting the globe icon.
Once a question is posed, ChatGPT will delve into the web for pertinent information, retrieving data from reliable sources and external search engines. The AI then presents a succinct, conversational answer, complemented by the **Sources** button. Clicking this button opens a sidebar displaying the names of the websites and articles that contributed to the AI’s response, allowing users to validate the information or explore the topic further.
## Why Was This Anticipated?
The debut of ChatGPT Search has been expected for a while now. Earlier this year, speculation regarding OpenAI’s intentions to branch out into the search engine sector circulated widely. These speculations were fueled by findings in OpenAI’s certificate logs and remarks made by CEO Sam Altman in a podcast, where he hinted at AI’s possibilities in the search industry.
With the expanding capabilities of models like GPT-4, it was inevitable that OpenAI would eventually take a more proactive role in search. The firm’s commitment to providing “better answers” swiftly corresponds with the rising demand for more proficient, AI-centric search experiences.
## How Does ChatGPT Search Stack Up Against Google?
OpenAI’s ChatGPT Search is positioned to directly rival **Google’s AI model Gemini** and its **AI Overviews** feature in Google Search. Google’s AI Overviews, unveiled during the I/O 2024 event, deliver quick, succinct summaries of information within search results, similar to the objectives of ChatGPT Search. Both platforms now enable users to fact-check AI-generated replies by linking back to the original sources of information.
However, there are noteworthy distinctions:
– **Interactive Conversation**: ChatGPT Search prioritizes a more dialogue-centric model, permitting users to ask additional questions and adjust their inquiries in real-time. This marks a progression beyond Google’s comparatively more static AI Overviews.
– **Transparency in Sourcing**: Although Google has refined its AI Overviews through backlinking and a more structured approach, OpenAI’s **Sources** button provides a distinctive method for directly engaging with the sources behind the AI’s responses.
## The Evolution of AI-Driven Search
The launch of ChatGPT Search indicates a significant trend toward AI-enabled search experiences. As AI technologies advance, they are being increasingly incorporated into daily tools and platforms, redefining our interaction with and access to information.
OpenAI’s venture into the search arena is particularly noteworthy as it challenges Google’s longstanding supremacy as the primary search engine for many users. By delivering a more conversational, AI-enhanced alternative, OpenAI is establishing itself as a formidable contender in the search marketplace.
### What Lies Ahead?
OpenAI intends to extend ChatGPT Search to **Enterprise** and **Edu** users in the forthcoming weeks, with free users anticipated to gain access in the next few months. This phased rollout will provide the company with the opportunity to fine-tune the feature and gather input from early users before making it generally accessible.
