After generating buzz for months, ChatGPT Search is here. The new service is a clear threat to traditional search engines like Google. Its features are eye-catching, but when I tested it, I noticed something particularly striking: It feels like OpenAI wants to hide the ability to search the Internet with ChatGPT.
ChatGPT Search should be much more visible. The first thing you’ll notice is that it’s somewhat hidden in the chatbot’s interface. OpenAI didn’t create a separate service with its own domain. Instead, users access the search engine through the text box where they enter prompts. From there, you can choose whether to use the traditional chatbot (by typing directly) or perform a search (by clicking the globe icon in the text box).
Test phase. Anyone can use ChatGPT Search for free at chatgpt.com. However, OpenAI may have preferred a more cautious rollout for a feature that still has room for improvement. Even so, it’s particularly odd that almost nothing in the interface changes once you start using ChatGPT in search mode.
Slower, but with narrated answers. ChatGPT’s search engine is slightly slower than Google’s. Once you enter your search query, it scans relevant sources and summarizes the information into a more comprehensive response. This feature lets you avoid having to visit the content provider directly. However, it does include links to the original sources in the form of small buttons, though they’re not very prominent.
Conversation option. The exciting thing about this search engine—similar to Perplexity—is that it facilitates a conversation if you want to dive deeper into a particular part of your search. In ChatGPT, for example, I might ask for a command I need on my server. If I run into an error, I “chat” with ChatGPT, asking for explanations, fixes, and troubleshooting advice until the problem is resolved. The same interactive experience is available with AI search.
Google still wins in some ways. At the moment, Google’s search engine is still the go-to for certain queries. For example, if you’re looking for quick facts like “Yankees vs. Phillies scoreboard” or “How old is Elon Musk?”, Google delivers the answer almost instantly. In those cases, you don’t need extra context because Google has mastered the art of synthesizing information in a way that’s hard to match.
The answer isn’t exclusive to Google. Another advantage of Google’s traditional search engine is that it presents answers in various formats. For example, if you search the top three tourist attractions in New York, it offers photos, summaries, and links to relevant pages. You can even query specific data, like hours of operation or ticket prices. ChatGPT Search, at least for now, is more focused on text-based answers. Perplexity takes a more interesting approach, suggesting follow-up questions to continue the conversation based on your search.
What about the accuracy of the answers? A significant weakness of AI chatbots is that users often can’t fully trust them because they sometimes fabricate answers or “freak out.” In the case of ChatGPT’s search engine, however, there’s an important distinction: It generates answers from selected, verified sources, so the likelihood of errors is much lower. Still, it’s crucial to verify the information just in case. Google isn’t infallible either, as search results can lead to unreliable or incomplete sources. In both cases, searching often requires additional work.
Real-time updates. ChatGPT’s search engine has room for improvement when it comes to real-time information. When I asked for the current value of bitcoin, I received different answers each time, and the tool didn’t integrate any graph. When I requested a chart, it created an illegible diagram with the months of the year but numbers that didn’t correspond to reality. Google also didn’t give an accurate, real-time answer (it was outdated), but it included links to real-time sources. Perplexity, however, impressed me by gathering and synthesizing information well and even integrating a chart, anticipating my desire for a graphical representation. This was a great feature.
Poor shopping assistant. AI search engines are still a bit limited when it comes to recommending products. When I asked both ChatGPT Search and Perplexity for “The best 65-inch TV under $1,000,” they both returned three and four options, respectively, along with summaries of the features. However, they didn’t include direct purchase links. Even after asking for them, neither tool provided links to online stores.
Perplexity was more responsive, adding Best Buy links to its answers as “related products.” ChatGPT, on the other hand, just answered “It seems I can’t directly provide Amazon links, but here’s how you can find each model easily.” Google’s traditional search engine showed different websites to compare prices. Its Shopping section is specifically tailored for such queries, making it a valuable tool. Of course, you can always use Google’s price search engine to find the best deals, even if you’re exploring product suggestions from AI search tools.
This is just the beginning. ChatGPT Search is still in its early stages, and while it’s interesting, it lags behind tools like Perplexity and Google in terms of quality and features. Google, in particular, has been refining its search engine for years. That said, this is only the beginning, and ChatGPT has many important advantages over Google.
Images | Matheus Bertelli | OpenAI | Xataka En
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