Today, OpenAI unveiled SearchGPT, their eagerly anticipated search solution.
At launch, SearchGPT is a “temporary prototype” that is only available to 10,000 publications and users.
In the future, OpenAI intends to include the “best” elements of the new search features right into ChatGPT.
The operation of SearchGPT. In addition to information gleaned from the internet, SearchGPT’s AI models are used to reply to questions. Links to pertinent sources will be included, as OpenAI stated in a blog post.
This is how OpenAI is teaseing SearchGPT:
“A new search feature prototype that leverages our AI models’ power to provide you with quick answers from sources that are both clear and pertinent.”
How SearchGPT appears. It appears to be doing what it has been doing—known as “browse mode”—ever since GPT-4o arrived. A few videos of the “faster and easier” SearchGPT experience were published by OpenAI.
A search box asks you, “What are you searching for?” at the beginning.
Following the entry of your question, SearchGPT will provide a response that displays sources beneath the answer and contains links to other sources inside the text response.
A sidebar with more results will be displayed.
This is a search for [August 2024 music festivals in Boone, NC]:
For the benefit of publishers. In order to provide publishers more options, OpenAI is “launching a way for publishers to manage how they appear in SearchGPT.” Crucially, SearchGPT is not about training OpenAI’s generative AI foundation models; rather, it is about search. Websites may still appear in search results even if they choose not to participate in generative AI training.
Arriving shortly. According to OpenAI, it intends to enhance searches for local business and information.
a waiting list. Joining the SearchGPT waitlist is available here.
Thus far, the narrative of OpenAI search. In February, we first learned about OpenAI’s plans to launch a search product. May saw a spike in rumours, but OpenAI didn’t provide their search product; instead, GPT-4o was released. The CEO of The Atlantic then verified earlier this month that OpenAI was “going to build a search product.”
Why it matters to us. The following As former Google CEO Eric Schmidt famously stated, Google won’t do what Google does. Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has stated that he is not interested in mimicking Google Search. Instead, he wants to develop a fresh, approachable search that integrates LLMs with search without overwhelming you with ads. Even though it’s too soon to tell if ChatGPT will replace Google Search, it’s obvious that we’ll be keeping a close eye on this story in the upcoming months and years.
Correction: OopsGPT. As it happens, SearchGPT experienced a similar “oopsie moment” in one of its demo movies to Google’s notorious Bard demo. A search for [music events in Boone, North Carolina in August] turned up the SearchGPT error, as The Atlantic—one of OpenAI’s major partners—noted in an article:
The Appalachian Summer Festival, which the tool indicates will include a number of arts activities from July 29 to August 16 of this year, is the first festival that the tool pulls up a list of events that it states will be happening in Boone this August. But difficulties would arise for someone in Boone seeking to purchase tickets to one of those concerts. The festival officially began on June 29 and will end with a concert on July 27. Rather, the box office for the festival will be officially closed from July 29 to August 16. (I verified these dates with the box office of the festival.)