OpenAI today added a set of new search functions to its popular ChatGPT large language model, choosing to integrate the functionality into the chatbot instead of launching a separate product.

The AI ​​giant is venturing into territory long dominated by Alphabet’s Google, also putting it in competition with Microsoft’s Bing, an OpenAI supporter, and emerging services such as Perplexity, an AI chatbot company research-driven company backed by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and semiconductor giant Nvidia.

OpenAI said ChatGPT search will choose to crawl the web based on what users are asking and provide fast, timely answers with links to relevant web sources.

“ChatGPT search leverages third-party search providers, as well as content provided directly by our partners, to deliver the information users are looking for,” OpenAI said in a blog post.

The search model is a refined version of GPT-4o, the startup said, adding that all ChatGPT Plus and Team users will have access to it today.

Enterprise and education customers will be able to access the features in the coming weeks, while they will roll out to free users over the coming months.

The Sam Altman-led startup signed content deals with several publishers this year, including Condé Nast, Time magazine, the Financial Times, Business Insider owner Axel Springer, French daily Le Monde and Spain’s Prisa Media.

OpenAI said it has collaborated extensively with the information industry and collected feedback from its partners on the search function. Any website or publisher can choose to appear⁠ in ChatGPT search.

In July, OpenAI selectively launched SearchGPT, a prototype AI-powered search engine with real-time access to information from the Internet.

Earlier in October, OpenAI raised $6.6 billion from investors, which could value the company at $157 billion and solidify its position as one of the most valuable private companies in the world.