SearchGPT: A potential Google competitor or should OpenAI be more cautious?

American Artificial Intelligence (AI) research organization OpenAI founded in December 2015, by Sam Altman is planning on introducing SearchGPT, competing directly with the search engine giant, Google, after announcing its own search engine on the 25^th of July.

With ChatGPT being one of the leading AI models in the world, OpenAI has announced testing its own search engine which is to be released at a future and undisposed date. A very bold and daring move, ChatGPT already works hand-in-hand with Bing, Microsoft’s search engine, putting SearchGPT in a position of being a major competitor.

How Exactly Does SearchGPT Work?

The internet search marketplace is dominated by Google, it recently reported $85 billion in Q2 2024 earnings with $48.5 billion from Search alone; but there is a real challenge coming from OpenAI’s new SearchGPT. Unlike the traditional search engines that display lists of links, it creates organized summaries. For example, instead of only providing names of the best Lagos restaurants with cheap menus, it gives details about them and suggests something else that’s better for your pocket to visit. “Getting answers on the web can take a lot of effort…” OpenAI writes, “…We believe that by enhancing the conversational capabilities of our models…finding what you’re looking for can be faster and easier.”

What Developments Are Currently Being Put In Place?

SearchGPT, a prototype, is available to a restricted number of users and publishers (with waitlist). OpenAI has plans in place to include some Search GPT aspects into ChatGPT later.

This then begs the question: Can Google be challenged by SearchGPT or will AI in search end Google’s dominance?

Only time will answer that. Presently, OpenAI seems to be an underdog. Accordingly, mistakes were identified by The Atlantic during a SearchGPT demonstration video; accuracy becomes an issue. After all, why should one choose SearchGPT instead of Google if they need to fact-check responses? Additionally, assuming traditional search engines are already good without AI, what other advantages does it superimpose on searching?

A New Player In The Game?

Meta, formerly known as Facebook, recently released its latest open-source AI model, Llama 3.1. Llama 3.1 comes in three different models: 405B, 70B, and 8B. With the 405B model rivaling AI models like GPT-4 and Claude 3.5 Sonnet in human evaluation and co-generation, solving complex mathematical problems and reasoning, Llama 3.1 is both free and arguably open source.

Mark Zuckerberg expects Llama 3.1 to surpass ChatGPT and become the number one AI chatbot. This seems likely for several reasons including Meta AI being integrated into WhatsApp and Instagram, each with over 2 billion users globally, its multilingualism and its Imagine Me feature allowing users to create AI-generated snapshots from pictures, all for free. These factors, along with an AI model superior to GPT-4, position Llama 3.1 to drive significant growth.

Conclusion

With all these being said, it brings the question: Is going after the biggest search space a profitable venture or should OpenAI improve on the GPT-4o AI model to avoid a sweep from behind by Meta’s Llama 3.1?

In my opinion, OpenAI has proven to be the top open-source AI company in the world, with its GPT models dominating the Artificial Intelligence space. In the past, we’ve seen OpenAI “rise through adversities”, beating various lawsuits. It is evident this is a company that is here to stay and dominate, however, going after another domineering company, especially one like Google seems somewhat far fetched. However, I do think it is important that they watch their backs regardless, while venturing into new endeavours.

Author: Eriigbagbo Olomo

Olomo Eriigbagbo is a young enthusiastic content writer. As a writer for Mobility Nigeria, Eriigbagbo engages in creating insightful content that covers the latest trends in gadgets, software, and cutting-edge innovations.