Interview with SearchGPT

Is it a Google killer?

OpenAI has released SearchGPT to a limited number of beta testers including me. According to OpenAI:

We’re testing SearchGPT, a prototype of new search features designed to combine the strength of our AI models with information from the web to give you fast and timely answers with clear and relevant sources. We’re launching to a small group of users and publishers to get feedback. While this prototype is temporary, we plan to integrate the best of these features directly into ChatGPT in the future. If you’re interested in trying the prototype, sign up  for the waitlist.

A new way to search

Getting answers on the web can take a lot of effort, often requiring multiple attempts to get relevant results. We believe that by enhancing the conversational capabilities of our models with real-time information from the web, finding what you’re looking for can be faster and easier.

Although SearchGPT does search the web for uptodate answers like Google, it has a conversational interface like ChatGPT and gives the impression of carrying on a conversation. Although SearchGPT has a conversational interface like ChatGPT, it cites sources for its answers and gives links to them by default rather than producing answers from its opaque training. At least for the next week or so, I’m using SearchGPT in place of both Google search and ChatGPT; I’ll report results when interesting. Below I asked SearchGPT why someone would use it rather than Google, why someone would use Google rather than SearchGPT, and what the SearchGPT business model is (it currently has no ads).

why would someone use searchgpt instead of google?

Reasons to Use SearchGPT Over Google

There are several reasons why someone might choose to use SearchGPT instead of Google Search:

1. 1. Conversational Search: SearchGPT allows users to ask questions in natural language and engage in follow-up interactions, making the search experience more interactive and personalized. This is a significant shift from Google's traditional keyword-based search (DataCamp, OpenAI Help Center).
   2. Direct Answers: SearchGPT provides direct answers to user queries, summarizing information from multiple sources and citing those sources clearly. This can save time by presenting the most relevant information upfront, whereas Google typically provides a list of links that users must sift through (DataCamp, OpenAI Help Center).
   3. Real-Time Information: SearchGPT aims to provide up-to-date information by using real-time data from the web. This ensures that the answers are current and relevant, which can be particularly useful for time-sensitive queries (OpenAI Help Center, New York Post).
   4. Clear Source Attribution: SearchGPT includes clear citations and links to the original sources, ensuring transparency and allowing users to verify the information. This can be more reliable than Google's search results, which may not always provide direct links to the sources (OpenAI Help Center, New York Post).
   5. Integration with ChatGPT: OpenAI plans to integrate the best features of SearchGPT into ChatGPT, enhancing its capabilities with real-time information and contextual responses. This could make ChatGPT a more powerful tool for users who already rely on it for various tasks (OpenAI Help Center, New York Post).
   6. No Ads (Initially): At launch, SearchGPT does not include ads, which can provide a cleaner and less distracting search experience compared to Google. However, OpenAI will need to develop monetization strategies in the future, which could include ads or premium features (New York Post, OpenAI Help Center).
   7. Collaboration with Publishers: OpenAI has partnered with various publishers to ensure that their content is properly attributed and linked in SearchGPT's results. This collaboration aims to protect intellectual property and provide accurate, up-to-date information (OpenAI Help Center, New York Post).

Overall, SearchGPT offers a more conversational, direct, and transparent search experience, which could be appealing to users looking for a more efficient and user-friendly alternative to Google.

why would someone use google instead of searchgpt?

Why Users Might Choose Google Over SearchGPT

There are several reasons why someone might choose to use Google instead of SearchGPT:

1. 1. Market Dominance: Google holds a significant market share in the search engine space, with over 90% of users relying on it. This dominance means that many people are accustomed to using Google and may be reluctant to switch to a new platform (ZDNet, Reuters).
   2. Familiarity and Trust: Users have been using Google for years and have developed a level of trust and familiarity with its interface and results. This trust can be a strong factor in their decision to continue using Google (ZDNet).
   3. Comprehensive Results: Google provides a wide range of results, including links to a vast number of websites, images, videos, and more. This comprehensive approach ensures that users can find a variety of information on any given topic (ZDNet).
   4. AI Integration: Google has integrated AI features, such as AI-generated summaries and overviews, which can provide quick and relevant information. Despite some initial controversies and errors, these features are continuously being improved (Wikipedia, ZDNet).
   5. Advertising and Revenue: Google's search results are often accompanied by ads, which can be a source of revenue for publishers and content creators. This advertising model helps support the free content available on the web (ZDNet).
   6. Local and Commerce Information: Google excels in providing local information and commerce-related results, which are crucial for many users. This includes detailed information about businesses, products, and services in specific locations (ZDNet).
   7. Integration with Other Services: Google is integrated with a wide range of other services, such as Google Maps, Google Drive, and YouTube, which can enhance the overall user experience (ZDNet).
   8. Accuracy and Reliability: While Google has faced criticism for some AI-generated errors, it generally provides accurate and reliable information. Users may prefer Google for its perceived reliability and the ability to cross-reference multiple sources (ZDNet, Wikipedia).

In summary, while SearchGPT offers innovative features and a new approach to search, Google's established presence, comprehensive results, and continuous improvements in AI integration make it a preferred choice for many users.

what is the business model for searchgpt?

SearchGPT's Business Model and Revenue Strategies

The business model for SearchGPT, OpenAI's new AI-powered search engine, involves several key components:

1. 1. Partnerships with Publishers: OpenAI has partnered with various publishers to ensure that their content is properly attributed and linked in SearchGPT's results. This collaboration aims to protect intellectual property and provide accurate, up-to-date information. Publishers can manage how their content appears in SearchGPT and opt out of having their content used for training OpenAI's generative AI models (New York Post, The Verge).
   2. Revenue Sharing: OpenAI is exploring revenue-sharing models with data providers. This approach could transform the current relationship between AI tools and copyrighted data owners into a collaborative and mutually beneficial one. The revenue-sharing model would be based on a prompt-based scoring system to measure data engagement (arXiv)..
   3. Monetization Strategies: While SearchGPT is currently in a prototype stage and free to use, OpenAI will need to devise monetization strategies in the future. This could include integrating ads or offering premium features for a fee. The company is also considering how to balance the need for revenue with the goal of providing a user-friendly and efficient search experience (New York Post, The Verge).
   4. Integration with ChatGPT: OpenAI plans to integrate the best features of SearchGPT into ChatGPT. This integration aims to enhance ChatGPT's capabilities by providing real-time information and contextual responses, making it a more powerful tool for users (OpenAI, OpenAI Help Center).
   5. Competition with Google: SearchGPT is positioned as a direct competitor to Google's search engine. By offering conversational and interactive search results with clear attributions, SearchGPT aims to challenge Google's dominance in the search market. This competition could drive innovation and improvements in both companies' search capabilities (New York Post, The Verge).

Overall, SearchGPT's business model focuses on collaboration with publishers, revenue sharing, and integration with ChatGPT, while positioning itself as a significant competitor to Google in the search engine market.