OpenAI is launching “ChatGPT Search,” a new feature designed to offer users conversational, web-based answers—content they might typically search Google for. Starting tomorrow, this search experience will be available to ChatGPT Plus and Team subscribers, while other account types will gain access in the coming weeks.
Using an updated GPT-4o model, ChatGPT Search is structured to provide fact-checkable information with source citations, potentially increasing users’ trust in the answers. As part of this new service, OpenAI has partnered with major publishers like Condé Nast and Reuters, enabling it to deliver more real-time, visually rich content on topics like weather, stocks, sports, and news.
This launch marks OpenAI’s direct challenge to Google, whose AI-powered summaries dominate global search. Although Google offers “AI Overviews,” ChatGPT’s conversational nature and follow-up flexibility aim to stand out. By directing traffic to original sources through citations, OpenAI hopes ChatGPT Search will attract more media partnerships, despite some media outlets’ reluctance to allow their content on AI models.
