OpenAI Unveils SearchGPT: A New Era in AI-Powered Search

OpenAI has announced the launch of SearchGPT, its much-anticipated search product. This "temporary prototype" is currently limited to 10,000 users and publishers, with plans to integrate its most successful features directly into ChatGPT in the future.

How SearchGPT Works

SearchGPT leverages OpenAI's AI models to provide rapid answers to queries, incorporating information from the web and including links to relevant sources. The company describes it as "A prototype of new search features, using the strength of our AI models to give you fast answers with clear and relevant sources."

User Interface and Experience

The user interface resembles ChatGPT's "browse mode," featuring a search box prompting users with "What are you searching for." Results include an AI-generated answer with embedded source links, followed by additional results in a sidebar.

Publisher Opportunities and Concerns

For publishers, OpenAI is "launching a way for publishers to manage how they appear in SearchGPT, so publishers have 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."

Early Challenges: The Demo Error

However, the launch wasn't without its hiccups. As The Atlantic pointed out, one of SearchGPT's demo videos contained an error:

"The tool then pulls up a list of festivals that it states are taking place in Boone this August, the first being An Appalachian Summer Festival, which according to the tool is hosting a series of arts events from July 29 to August 16 of this year. Someone in Boone hoping to buy tickets to one of those concerts, however, would run into trouble. In fact, the festival started on June 29 and will have its final concert on July 27. Instead, July 29–August 16 are the dates for which the festival's box office will be officially closed. (I confirmed these dates with the festival's box office.)"

Future Plans and Access

OpenAI plans to enhance SearchGPT's capabilities, particularly in local information and commerce searches. Interested users can join a waitlist for access.

The Road to SearchGPT

This development follows months of speculation about OpenAI's search aspirations. CEO Sam Altman has expressed his intention to create a user-friendly search experience that combines large language models and search functionality without overwhelming users with advertisements.

Potential Impact on Search Industry

While it's premature to predict SearchGPT's impact on the search market, industry observers will be closely monitoring its evolution in the coming months and years. As former Google CEO Eric Schmidt once said, "The next Google won't do what Google does," and OpenAI seems poised to challenge traditional search paradigms with this innovative approach.