In November 2024, OpenAI is shaking up the search engine world by officially launching ChatGPT Search. This new function integrated into the famous chat agent promises to transform the way we search for information on the Internet. But does ChatGPT Search really have the potential to surpass the giant Google? Response properties.
Clean, ad-free interface
The first benefit noted by users who had preview access to ChatGPT Research: its minimal interface with no ads. Unlike Google’s often ad-laden results pages, ChatGPT focuses on sobriety:
- Search field to enter your keywords.
- Button to start the search.
- AI responses are presented in a clean format.
- The sources used by the AI are listed below each answer.
This simple user experience will appeal to those who could test it. But will this be enough to change habits and convince the public to abandon Google?
Direct and synthetic answers rather than lists of links
Therein lies the strength of ChatGPT Research the ability to understand a question in natural language and respond to it in a concise and appropriate manner.
Where Google returns a list of links in which the user must find the information themselves, ChatGPT summarizes essential information in one paragraph.
The first tests show that, for simple searches (news, explanations, procedures, etc.), ChatGPT offers real-time savings and efficiency. On the other hand, as soon as the search becomes more complex, the answers of the AI can remain superficial or uncertain. Google stays ahead when it comes to specific searches.
What about monetization and economic feasibility?
The ChatGPT Research model, based on direct responses without sending traffic to third-party sites, raises economic questions:
- How does OpenAI plan to monetize its hatless engine?
- Do publishers accept that their content is censored without getting traffic back?
- What are the other sources of income for websites if internet users are no longer clicking on their pages?
OpenAI must find solutions to pay content producersunder penalty of seeing them disappear and at the same time drying up sources of information for his AI. There are avenues, such as direct media funding with OpenAI, but this seems difficult to generalize on a large scale.
In conclusion, ChatGPT Research shows a promising asset but it doesn’t seem to be equipped yet to completely “kill” Google. Improvements are still needed, especially on complex applications, as well as deep reflection on the economic model. Time will tell if OpenAI succeeds in its challenge to change the world of search engines with ChatGPT Search.
Cover photo source: ©Iliya Mitskavets – stock.adobe.com
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