OpenAI says ChatGPT is catching up to Google in search — SkimNews
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- OpenAI said ChatGPT now processes web-search queries equal to 20% of Google’s volume, according to consumer product lead Adam Fry at a Monday press event.
- Adam Fry said OpenAI counts a search only when a user query triggers a web search, excluding tasks such as defining a term or answering a simple how-to; he did not identify the source of Google’s volume figure.
- Google argued during its 2023 antitrust trial that AI could seriously disrupt search, while Satya Nadella said Bing had about 3% of the market after more than a decade.
- Bing likely powers a significant share of ChatGPT searches alongside OpenAI’s in-house index; routing some queries through Google remains speculative.
- Google continues reducing conventional referrals to third-party sites while investing heavily in AI tools including AI Overview and personalized results with visualizations and charts.
- OpenAI sees advertising as a potential path to profitability as it approaches an IPO potentially slated for early next year; last month it announced plans to introduce images of sponsored products and services in ChatGPT.
- Intelligent UI is OpenAI’s term for visual, interactive chatbot responses; Fry said, “You’re talking to a canvas.”
Why it matters: OpenAI’s self-reported 20% search-volume comparison gives its ad push a query base, while the comparison leaves Google with five times ChatGPT’s reported volume. Third-party sites are already receiving fewer conventional referrals from Google, and OpenAI is adding sponsored images inside ChatGPT, bringing referrals and ad placement into the same contest.
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