As part of its ’12 days of OpenAI’ campaign, the company behind ChatGPT has announced a series of very notable updates to its integrated search engine. These developments not only constitute a clear threat to Google’s hegemony in the search market, they also pose a challenge to mobile voice assistants (hello, Apple’s Siri).
‘Sgroogled.com’: when MICROSOFT launched ANTI-GOOGLE ads
What’s new in ChatGPT: transformed the search experience
OpenAI introduced three major updates that redesign the ChatGPT search experience:
Searches for all users
From now on, all registered ChatGPT users, iEven those who use the free version will be able to access the functionality real-time search. This represents a radical change from the previous model, where this option was restricted to paid plan subscribers. With a simple click on the globe icon, users can get up-to-date information directly from the web.
Featured Links and Maps Integration
OpenAI has optimized the presentation of results, prioritizing featured links to relevant websites before displaying the AI-generated text, and inserting videos within it. Additionally, on mobile devices, ChatGPT Integrates with native iOS and Android maps (Apple Maps and Google Maps, respectively), allowing localized searches such as nearby restaurants or tourist attractions, directly from the app.
voice search
Perhaps the most impressive innovation is the addition of voice search through Advanced Voice Mode. This feature allows users interact with ChatGPT verbally, getting instant responses in a conversational format. From planning activities to checking the weather, this tool promises to be a much more accurate and versatile alternative to assistants like Siri.
Image from the official OpenAI presentation
A blow for Google (and Apple)?
ChatGPT’s expansion into search territory represents a direct threat to Google’s dominance. With hundreds of millions of users now exploring information from ChatGPT, competition for the online search space is intensifying like never before.
Additionally, by offering advanced voice search, OpenAI is exposing the limitations of assistants like Siriwhich often frustrate users with generic answers or lists of links.
Image | Marcos Merino through AI + OpenAI Logo
In Genbeta | I’ve been using the new ChatGPT search engine, and the experience has been… ‘amazing’ at times