OpenAI is reportedly set to announce a search product powered by artificial intelligence that could rival Google’s dominance. The announcement is scheduled to be made a day before Google’s annual I/O conference, which is expected to focus on the search giant’s AI model offerings like Gemini and Gemma. Reports from Bloomberg and The Information also suggest that OpenAI is developing an AI-based search product that may be integrated into its ChatGPT chatbot with citations, and possibly powered in part by Bing.
OpenAI had previously attempted to provide ChatGPT access to live web data through plugins, but has since retired them in favor of GPTs. While ChatGPT gained popularity for information-gathering tasks, bots built upon LLMs have a reputation for providing inaccurate or outdated information. Google is aware of the threat to its search dominance, with search boss Prabhakar Raghavan acknowledging the need to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving market. He emphasized Google’s trustworthiness as a critical factor in the era of generative AI.
OpenAI is actively recruiting Google employees to work on its search offering, signaling a push to build off Google’s reputation for trustworthiness. Perplexity, a $1 billion start-up founded by a former OpenAI researcher, has also entered the AI-based search market with success, attracting 10 million monthly active users as of January. These developments pose a significant challenge to Google as it faces an ongoing antitrust case with the DOJ over its search dominance, with OpenAI’s potential entry into the search game likely intended to send a message of competition.
The timing of OpenAI’s rumored search product announcement on the eve of Google’s I/O event suggests a strategic move to assert itself as a formidable competitor in the search industry. As ChatGPT continues to experience rapid growth as one of the fastest-growing services, Google must take OpenAI’s potential as a serious threat. The competition in the AI-based search market underscores the need for Google to innovate and adapt to changing trends in order to maintain its position as a trusted source for information amidst the rise of generative AI technologies.