ChatGPT’s AI-powered search engine is being rolled out to free users of the chatbot for the first time, maker OpenAI has confirmed.
In the latest round of announcements as part of a Christmas countdown, the AI giant said it was making its search tool available to all free users of the app, on every platform where ChatGPT is available, as long as a user has an account and is logged in.
OpenAI first launched the ability to search the web inside ChatGPT in October, to paying subscribers, saying it would offer a more natural, conversational way to get answers than using a search engine, as users will be able to quickly ask follow-up questions to get more information.
The feature has been seen as a direct challenge to Google, in the year that Google has started added generative AI-powered results to the top of search pages.
Elsewhere in its announcement, OpenAI said its search tool was getting better and faster on mobile devices, with the feature looking and acting much more like a traditional search engine.
OpenAI also confirmed it is adding its search tool to its Advanced Voice feature, meaning users will be able to use search with their voice.
The AI firm has spent recent weeks and months expanding its range of features and subscription options for users, as it looks to build out ChatGPT and other products’ capabilities as part of efforts to boost user numbers and ultimately revenue.
The company is facing steep costs that are common for AI companies – in particular when it comes to paying for the computing power needed to run improving AI models.
Earlier this month, OpenAI announced a new high-end subscription tier called ChatGPT Pro, which it is rolling out priced at 200 dollars a month for those wanting access to the firm’s very best models and AI tools.
