ChatGPT Steps into Search—Because Google and Bing Needed a Challenge

OpenAI has taken a leap, adding a robust search feature to ChatGPT, positioning it closer to the realm of Google and Microsoft’s Bing. Rather than building a separate search engine, OpenAI opted to bring the power of real-time web search directly into ChatGPT.

Now, users can receive timely answers with links to relevant sources, all without leaving the familiar chatbot interface.

This new feature, built on a fine-tuned version of GPT-4, means ChatGPT can handle everything from breaking news to stock updates. It’s already available to ChatGPT Plus and Team users, with Enterprise and educational customers next in line, and free users set to follow in the coming months. According to OpenAI, this feature comes with partnerships with major media companies, like Condé Nast, Financial Times, and Time Magazine, to provide reliable, up-to-the-minute content.

CEO Sam Altman calls the new search function his “favorite feature” since ChatGPT launched, and it’s easy to see why. This turns ChatGPT into something far more versatile than just a chatbot—now, it’s a well-informed, real-time assistant that actually keeps up with the world. Of course, this also nudges OpenAI even closer to being a competitor to its own investor, Microsoft, whose Bing and Copilot services might start feeling a little cramped with ChatGPT’s new talents.

So, ChatGPT is no longer content with just friendly chatter. It’s diving into the world of search, ready to challenge the giants, redefine what a chatbot can do, and perhaps make our lives just a bit easier—assuming, of course, the robots don’t decide to take over while they’re at it.