On day eight of its “12 Days of Shipmas” event, OpenAI announced the global rollout of ChatGPT Search to all logged-in users. Yes, this feature technically launched at the end of October, but was it previously exclusive to premium subscribers.
Key Points:
- OpenAI is expanding ChatGPT Search to all logged-in users globally, removing the premium paywall
- There is an enhanced mobile experience and voice search integration
- The timing and feature set position ChatGPT as a direct challenger to Google
Kevin Weil, OpenAI's product lead, emphasized the transformative nature of the search feature during the announcement. "I can't imagine ChatGPT without search now. I use it so often," Weil noted, highlighting how integral the feature has become to the user experience.
🌐ChatGPT search 🌐is starting to roll out to all Free users today.
— OpenAI (@OpenAI) December 16, 2024
Search the web in a faster, better way—available globally on https://t.co/nYW5KO1aIg and our mobile and desktop apps for all logged-in users. pic.twitter.com/yf6GJGAm8b
The new and improved Search is faster, better optimized for mobile, and includes enhanced features like integrated maps and advanced voice mode.
Adam Fry, the product lead for Search at OpenAI showcased how users can now explicitly invoke web search or let ChatGPT automatically determine when real-time information is needed. For instance, you can search for events, restaurant recommendations, or weather updates, receiving rich visuals and live links alongside answers.
Why It Matters: OpenAI’s expansion of Search represents a clear challenge to traditional search engines like Google. By combining search capabilities with ChatGPT’s conversational AI, OpenAI is betting that users will favor a more interactive, answer-driven experience over a list of links.
Unlike Google’s ad-heavy model, ChatGPT Search remains ad-free—for now. Here are the new features:
- Search for Everyone: Free users can now access real-time information via the ChatGPT’s desktop, mobile apps, and the web.
- Voice Integration: Users can search by speaking to ChatGPT’s advanced voice mode.
- Enhanced Mobile Experience: Mobile search now includes maps, visuals, and business details, like directions and hours, for easier navigation.
By offering free, conversational search with no ads, OpenAI is looking to position itself as a serious contender in the search market. Whether users adopt it as their go-to tool—and how OpenAI sustains it long-term—will be critical to watch.