Sam Altman: ChatGPT Won’t Replace Google as the Main Search Engine

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman stated during a U.S. Senate hearing that, despite ChatGPT’s popularity and its advantages in certain scenarios, Google will remain the primary search engine for most users.

When directly asked by Senator Ted Cruz about the possibility of AI tools replacing Google, Altman responded, “Probably not.” He explained that while ChatGPT is useful for idea generation, quick summaries, and conversational interactions, it cannot fully replace traditional web search — especially on the scale that Google operates.

Altman also emphasized that Google remains a formidable competitor, equipped with extensive experience, a strong AI team, and a robust infrastructure that seamlessly integrates AI into the classic search model.

Following this statement, OpenAI has made the search function in ChatGPT available to all users — now accessible for free and even without registration, significantly expanding its audience.