This week the presentation took place of what is destined to become OpenAI's star service: a smart search engine which has been talked about a lot in recent months. Now it is finally a reality. OpenAI presents SearchGPT like artificial intelligence that revolutionizes searches and opens up a new world of possibilities.
Although its creators warn that SearchGPT is, in principle, just a temporary prototype, without a doubt it is a very promising product. Among other things, the search engine will be able to respond to queries using its AI models plus information extracted from the web. It will include links to relevant sources. For now, Only 10.000 chosen users will be able to test its virtues.
On its official blog, OpenAI defines this new tool this way: "A prototype of new search functions that harnesses the power of our AI models to give you fast answers with clear and relevant sources."
How does SearchGPT work?
Aesthetically, SearchGPT's design is quite sober. A clean and clear appearance that falls within the parameters of what its creators have called "exploration mode." OpenAI has shared some videos that show quite well what it looks like and how it works.
The first thing the user sees when opening SearchGT is a simple screen with a search box and the question "What are you looking for?" After writing our query, The search engine generates a response that includes links to various sources. And, in order to make the quality of this response even higher, we also find a sidebar with additional results. Above these lines, a graphic example of everything explained.
Unlike traditional search engines, which simply show us a list of links on the results page, SearchGPT offers direct answers to our questions. To generate these responses, it extracts information from various online sources and presents them in a conversational format, clearly citing the origins of the information.
Differences with Google
Many people may not be able to see what SearchGPT can really provide, taking into account that they already have the Google search engine. That's why it's important to explain the differences.
The first news that leaked about OpenAI's intentions to launch a tool of this type dates back to February of this year. The launch, which seemed imminent, has been delayed so that its final form was perfectly distinguishable from the popular Google search engine.
SearchGPT is designed to streamline the search process. This represents a notable saving in time and effort for the user. Thus, instead of having to search through the links provided by Google, users of this new tool will be able to obtain concise and relevant answers immediately. Not only that: it also allows us to ask follow-up questions, imitating the development of a natural conversation. Everything, ultimately, results in a more complete and more interactive search experience.
Apart from this, in a next phase of development, SearchGPT will offer more advanced capabilities. Among them, it is worth highlighting these:
- Image Search from previous images or text descriptions.
- Specialized widgets for certain topics: weather, sports, finances, etc.
- Summary of texts, web page contents and generation of titles.
In short, it is not a simple imitation, but a simple and powerful tool, equipped with an LLM technology model (Large Language Mode) available to any type of user. At OpenAI they insist that SearchGPT is not coming to displace Google, although it seems clear that that, and no other, is the true objective.
How can I test SearchGPT?
There are many users eager to experiment with this new OpenAI tool, which is raising so much expectation. If you are one of them, you should know that the artificial intelligence company has created a waiting list to sign up for. For now, there are only about 10.000 users around the world who enjoy this privilege.
To access SearchGPT you need to have a ChatGPT account. Once you have logged in, you must enter the link included in the previous paragraph and click on the black button to join the waiting list, which will automatically change its color to gray and display a check mark with the following message : "You're on the waiting list."
OpenAI has not yet said How long will this testing period last? nor what will be the final date of its integration into the ChatGPT service. What is clear is that the company plans to continue improving SearchGPT, focusing on some specific fields such as local information and commerce. It seems that we still have a lot to discover about this prodigious tool.