OpenAI will integrate its AI search engine, SearchGPT, into ChatGPT by the end of this year, Varun Shetty, head of media partnerships at OpenAI, recently announced during an event in Brussels.
Currently, SearchGPT is only available in the United States, but access is expected to expand soon.
SearchGPT, which started as a prototype in July, allows users to access live data and links to external web pages directly within ChatGPT. The new feature will be available to all users, moving beyond the select group of ChatGPT Plus subscribers who had access before.
The integration will also come with a redesigned user interface for ChatGPT, shifting from a chat-centered format to a more visually appealing search layout similar to Google’s.
OpenAI is also rolling out new features like Advanced Voice Mode and ChatGPT Canvas.
A key advantage of SearchGPT is its ability to provide personalized and detailed responses. While Google primarily provides a list of links, SearchGPT provides query-specific answers.
However, OpenAI’s refusal to share advertising revenue with news publishers has raised concerns. Shetty stated that the embedded links in SearchGPT responses would drive traffic to publishers’ sites, which he believes will help compensate for the lack of revenue sharing.