OpenAI to Launch Google Search Competitor

OpenAI, strengthened by its relationship with Microsoft, is apparently launching its own AI-driven search tool, challenging Google’s search engine dominance

According to two persons familiar with the situation who spoke with Reuters, OpenAI plans to launch its AI-powered search tool on today.

The launch of this product overlaps closely with Google’s annual I/O conference, which begins on Tuesday and is expected to include several AI-related announcements.

While Google remains a search powerhouse, it has also been adjusting to incorporate AI more thoroughly into its capabilities. Google started testing AI-powered search summaries in the United States over a year ago and expanded to selected, signed-in UK customers last month.

The possible introduction of OpenAI into the search engine market will introduce a new level of competition for Google and other companies, such as Perplexity. Perplexity and SoundHound announced a partnership to improve voice assistants for IoT devices with AI-powered search capabilities this week.

OpenAI, which Microsoft heavily sponsors, is on the convergence of AI and search engine technology to carve out a niche. Microsoft previously integrated OpenAI’s AI capabilities into its Bing search engine and Edge browser in February 2023, allowing premium users to access these advanced services and integration into its Microsoft Office suite.

OpenAI’s upcoming search product will build on its flagship tool, ChatGPT. According to Bloomberg, the new feature will allow users to ask ChatGPT queries and receive responses that extract information from the web and include proper citations.

This could consist of hyperlinks to Wikipedia or various blogs and explanatory graphics or diagrams related to the query.

Suppose OpenAI successfully introduces this new search product. In that case, it might mark a fundamental shift in how internet searches are conducted—from standard search models to more integrated, AI-driven results that significantly improve user experience.