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The News
OpenAI is developing a search engine powered by its GPT-4 models called SearchGPT, the artificial intelligence firm announced Thursday.
It’s perhaps the most direct challenge to Google’s hold over search (even as it has tried to incorporate its AI into search, to mixed results). Alphabet, Google’s parent company, saw its share price slide following the news.
Currently in limited testing, SearchGPT can look up information on the internet and synthesize the results for users in a way they will find more useful than a list of links, OpenAI said.
The startup said it had developed the tool with publishers, who are worried AI will starve them of already dwindling search traffic. But publishers may see the writing on the wall: Atlantic CEO Nicholas Thompson said it’s vital to collaborate with OpenAI to build technology that “values, respects, and protects journalism and publishers.”