OpenAI, the provider of AI chatbot ChatGPT, which generates human-like responses to natural language input, announced today (Saturday, November 2) that the chatbot is now equipped with live web search capabilities for information in real time.

According to the AI ​​tech giant, this feature is currently available to paid subscribers and users on the SearchGPT waitlist, and there are plans to expand it to free, professional, and educational users soon.

In an official statement, OpenAI explained that the live search tool is integrated directly into ChatGPT’s existing interface, allowing it to automatically access online results for certain queries.

As TECHEDT reports, users can also manually enable the web search feature, allowing ChatGPT to compete more directly with similar AI features from tech giants like Microsoft’s Copilot and Google’s Gemini, all of which have two already have Internet access. OpenAI aims this integration to improve the accuracy and depth of ChatGPT, providing users with more relevant and up-to-date information.

Demonstrating the new feature, ChatGPT Research Team Lead Adam Fry presented an interactive stock chart, upcoming earnings, and clickable news articles linked to the original sources. This new feature will be available on all ChatGPT platforms, including iOS, Android, and desktop apps for macOS and Windows. The search capability relies on various technologies, including Microsoft’s Bing.

According to OpenAI, the model supporting this feature is a refined version of GPT-4, which was initially demonstrated to 10,000 users in July as part of a prototype called SearchGPT. OpenAI’s recent blog post highlights its efforts to expand ChatGPT’s reach and strengthen its position over other tech players.

“OpenAI will continue to update training data, but the search capability will be separate from training updates to the AI ​​model,” OpenAI spokesperson Niko Felix said.