According to a new report at Reuters, OpenAI (the massive AI firm behind ChatGPT, backed by billions from Microsoft) is planning to launch an AI-powered search engine on Monday. The engine will compete with Google and Perplexity, a competing AI search startup founded by a former OpenAI researcher.
2OpenAI is launching a new search engine, one that will potentially compete with Google.
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Going up against the search giant that is Google with the aid of AI is not uncommon. Microsoft’s long-running Bing search recently added OpenAI ChatGPT integration – but only for paid customers. AI and search engines are set to go hand-in-hand, as Google is also integrating generative AI into search and other products like Gmail.
The Reuters report cites ‘two sources familiar with the matter,’ so nothing is official. However, OpenAI’s stealth launch of a new search engine (possibly in beta or limited form) next week would mark an exciting turn for the company. Bloomberg has reported on the company’s search engine plans in the past, so it sounds like it’s only a matter of time.
As for the timing of the launch, the report notes that it lines up with Google’s annual I/O conference, which kicks off on Tuesday. Google is expected to announce updates for and unveil several AI-powered products during the event, so this could be a case of OpenAI stealing some of that thunder – so to speak.
As for the search engine, all we know is that it will be an extension of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, with searches able to cite sources and provide information based on what it finds online. Accurate and up-to-the-minute information is a crucial part of search engines like Google, so seeing how AI handles this side of the experience will be interesting.