The search engine from OpenAI is now available in ChatGPT.

OpenAI has officially launched a web search capability within ChatGPT, providing real-time information access for paid subscribers and SearchGPT waitlist users starting today. Free, enterprise, and education users are expected to gain access in the coming weeks. This new search feature is integrated directly into ChatGPT’s existing interface, allowing the AI to decide when to retrieve web results automatically, though users can also prompt a search manually. The update closes a competitive gap with AI rivals like Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini, both of which already offer real-time internet access in their AI services.

In a recent demo, OpenAI’s ChatGPT search lead, Adam Fry, demonstrated the feature by searching for Apple’s stock and relevant news. ChatGPT displayed an interactive stock chart, upcoming earnings information, and clickable news articles linking to original sources. It also included a sources sidebar for browsing related websites. In another example, Fry searched for Italian restaurants in San Francisco, which displayed an interactive map with recommended locations marked, and he further refined the search by specifying “more casual and neighborhood-y” spots.

The new feature is available across all ChatGPT platforms: iOS, Android, and desktop apps for macOS and Windows. Built using a “mix of search technologies,” including Microsoft Bing, the search capability is powered by a fine-tuned version of OpenAI’s GPT-4 model. Initially, the prototype, called SearchGPT, was tested by 10,000 users in July, with reports in May indicating that OpenAI was recruiting former Google employees for its search team.

Previously, ChatGPT’s knowledge was capped between 2021 and 2023, depending on the model. Although live search will now provide the latest information, OpenAI spokesperson Niko Felix confirmed that the company will continue updating its training data to maintain model advancement, while live search remains distinct from model training updates.

As AI-powered search competition intensifies, Meta is reportedly developing its own search tool, and Google recently extended its AI overview feature to over 100 countries. While this release aligns closely with Alphabet’s recent earnings report, where Google’s Q3 search revenue hit $49.4 billion, Fry insisted the timing was independent. One distinct advantage for ChatGPT over Google Search is the absence of ads, as Fry stated there are “no plans” for advertising in ChatGPT’s search. Although running AI search is costly, it remains unclear how OpenAI will manage these expenses for free users, who will face usage limits on the latest search models.

AI search platforms also face legal challenges. News Corp and The New York Times have sued Perplexity for copyright infringement, and the Times has also filed suit against OpenAI for using its content to train models. Fry noted that OpenAI collaborates closely with media partners to ensure responsible content usage and that publishers can opt out of OpenAI’s web crawler, which won’t bypass paywalls.

Over the past year, OpenAI has secured partnerships with major media groups like Hearst, Condé Nast, Axel Springer, and News Corp. Although these partners gain some control over how their content appears in ChatGPT, they won’t receive preferential placement in results.

On accuracy, Fry suggested that ChatGPT search’s access to real-time information will reduce factual errors, or “hallucinations,” as it can now verify more recent data. With the US presidential election approaching, Fry added that OpenAI is paying extra attention to election-related queries to ensure reliable information.