OpenAI Expands ChatGPT Search Access to All

OpenAI has rolled out its ChatGPT Search tool to all logged-in users, even users who are not subscribers of the ChatGPT service. The move threatens traditional search engine giants such as Google and could hasten a shift from conventional keyword-based searching to AI-powered searches.

This announcement was made as part of OpenAI’s “12 Days of OpenAI” series, which saw the AI leader unveil new product releases daily. OpenAI says it has partnered with news and data providers to add up-to-date information and new visual designs for categories like weather, stocks, sports, news, and maps.

Since its initial release to paid users, OpenAI has made various improvements to its online search feature. ChatGPT Search now behaves more like a search engine, with output formatted differently depending on the type of search made. When looking for places of attraction such as restaurants or hotels, for instance, ChatGPT will display a list of results with images, ratings, and hours.

Links to all sources are also available and can be accessed by simply clicking on the “Sources” button below each response. This will open a sidebar to show the references used to derive its output.

Projects in ChatGPT

OpenAI also unveiled another feature dubbed “Projects” on the sixth day. Similar to Anthropic’s feature of the same name or Google’s NotebookLM service, Projects lets users create folders and add conversations and documents into one place. This is accessible from the ChatGPT website, Windows desktop app, and mobile users.

Users can customize how it responds through custom instructions, or upload documents that ChatGPT can use in its response. OpenAI plans to expand the types of files Projects supports next year, potentially allowing users to add connections to Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive. For now, the feature is currently available only to ChatGPT Plus, Pro and Teams subscribers.

As GenAI progress faces hurdles due to dwindling original data for use to train new AI models, the top AI firms are seeking to stay ahead through the rapid introduction of new features and capabilities. OpenAI in particular has been pushing boundaries to enhance user experience and maintain its competitive edge.