OpenAI is set to announce a new AI-powered search product, potentially challenging Google's dominance in the search market, according to a report by Reuters, citing sources. The announcement could be released a day prior to Google's annual I/O conference which is scheduled to happen on May 14.
The report suggests that the search product is an extension of OpenAI's flagship ChatGPT product, enabling it to access direct web information and provide citations.
Despite ChatGPT's success, it has faced difficulties in providing accurate and real-time web information. OpenAI has previously integrated it with Microsoft's Bing for paid users. Google has also introduced generative AI features for its search engine.
Meanwhile, AI search startup Perplexity, founded by a former OpenAI researcher, has gained popularity through its AI-native search interface. The startup boasts 10 million monthly active users.
OpenAI's ChatGPT was once the fastest app to reach 100 million monthly active users post its late 2022 launch, but has since seen fluctuating traffic. Amid pressure to expand its user base, OpenAI retired its ChatGPT plugins in April, which was an earlier attempt to update and incorporate real-world information into ChatGPT.
Google's current AI-generated Search
Google introduced Generative Search last year at the I/O developer's conference. The feature is available for users who opt in. The Google Generative Search Experience (SGE) provides a quick summary for a Google Search query without having to click on any link. Within the search, users can then type-in follow-up questions and look at the citations made for the quick response.