The most popular generative AI platform, ChatGPT, can now function as a free search engine for hundreds of thousands of users, putting it in direct competition with Google in this domain.
OpenAI announced the launch of this feature last October, two years after ChatGPT first became available. Previously, this capability was reserved exclusively for paid service subscribers.
Now, users only need a free account to ask ChatGPT questions about the latest news or upcoming events and receive written responses that include links to relevant websites.
Kevin Weil, an executive at OpenAI, stated in a video released on Monday that this feature “enables ChatGPT to access real-time information and directly search for answers on the internet.”
This development means the application is no longer limited to data accumulated before a specific date. It can now also display information on a map, similar to Google Maps.
Additionally, ChatGPT’s voice conversation mode can retrieve answers from the internet, although this feature remains exclusive to paid subscribers.
Meanwhile, Google introduced a new AI-based feature last spring, known as “AI Overviews,” which provides detailed answers to user queries in everyday language, similar to ChatGPT Search.
In a parallel move, Microsoft has integrated AI technologies into its Bing search engine, further intensifying competition in this field.
