OpenAI is reportedly working on a search feature for ChatGPT that could make the chatbot a veritable alternative to Google Search. According to Bloomberg, the company is currently developing the capability, which can scour the web for answers to your queries and spit out results complete with citations to their sources. ChatGPT could take information from Wikipedia or blog posts, for instance, and link to their original pages when you ask it questions.
Bloomberg says that in one version of the experimental search function, ChatGPT can show you images along with its written responses whenever they’re relevant. For example, if the chatbot deems illustrated instructions or diagrams useful for an inquiry, such as “how to change a doorknob” or “how to clean a split-type AC,” then it could include them in its responses. As Bloomberg notes, ChatGPT can already do searches for paying customers, but it could give faulty responses or replies with incorrect citations.
Earlier this month, DataChaz on Twitter/X, reported that OpenAI had created a new subdomain with the address search.chatgpt.com. It apparently briefly rerouted to the main ChatGPT page over the weekend, though you’ll get a “Not found” note if you try to access it now. While the company has yet to officially confirm this particular undertaking, working on AI search is a logical next step if it wants to keep competing with its staunchest rivals. Google recently expanded its AI-powered search results test and started showing them to users who didn’t opt in. Then there’s Perplexity, a startup currently valued at $1 billion, thanks to its AI-powered search engine that Rabbit uses to respond to inquiries made through the R1 device.