NAIROBI, Kenya- OpenAI has officially entered the competitive search engine arena with its latest prototype, SearchGPT.
This AI-powered search engine promises fast and accurate answers with clear source attributions, challenging long-standing players like Google.
Described on OpenAI’s website as “a temporary prototype of new AI search features,” SearchGPT aims to enhance user experience with timely responses and relevant sources.
Initially, the product will be tested by 10,000 users before being integrated into ChatGPT.
The launch of SearchGPT comes at a time when AI-powered search is rapidly evolving.
Google, the behemoth of search engines, has already begun integrating AI capabilities into its platform. Meanwhile, startups like the Jeff Bezos-backed Perplexity are positioning themselves as “answer engines” that summarize the internet’s vast information.
This competitive push highlights the growing demand for smarter, more efficient search tools.
However, the rise of AI in search hasn’t been without controversy. Last month, Perplexity faced backlash for summarizing articles from Forbes and Wired without proper attribution or backlinks, and for ignoring robots.txt directives, which prevent unauthorized data scraping.
This week, Condé Nast, the publisher of Wired, reportedly issued a cease-and-desist letter to Perplexity, accusing it of plagiarism.
These incidents underscore the delicate balance AI-powered search engines must maintain between innovation and ethical content usage.
In contrast to some competitors, OpenAI is taking a collaborative approach with SearchGPT. The company emphasized its partnerships with various news organizations, ensuring that content is properly cited and linked.
“SearchGPT is designed to help users connect with publishers by prominently citing and linking to them in searches,” the company stated in a blog post.
Notably, publishers have control over how their content is presented and can opt out of having their content used for training OpenAI’s models while still appearing in search results.
The interface of SearchGPT invites users to type their queries into a prominent textbox labeled, “What are you searching for?” Unlike traditional search engines that present a list of links, SearchGPT organizes results with brief descriptions and visuals.
For instance, a search about music festivals yields short event descriptions alongside links for more details.
Despite these innovative features, early users have noted some inaccuracies in the search results, highlighting the ongoing challenge of ensuring precision in AI-generated content.
The introduction of SearchGPT signifies OpenAI’s bold step into the AI search market, aiming to balance innovation with ethical content practices.
By prioritizing clear attributions and engaging with publishers, OpenAI seeks to address some of the criticisms faced by its competitors.
