What is SearchGPT
SearchGPT, launched on July 26, 2024, is a new search tool created by OpenAI. It uses advanced artificial intelligence to improve how we search online. Unlike traditional search engines, SearchGPT understands the context and intent behind user queries, allowing it to provide more accurate and relevant answers.
You can interact with it in a conversational manner, asking follow-up questions and getting responses that build on previous interactions. This makes it feel like you’re having a chat with a knowledgeable assistant rather than just getting a list of search results. SearchGPT also aims to use real-time data to offer the most current information available. Overall, it seeks to enhance the search experience by making it more intuitive and user-friendly.
Are We Witnessing the Birth of a Google Killer?
OpenAI’s new search engine has just hit the scene, and we’ve got our hands on some real usage footage to share with you. We’re leaving no stone unturned as we explore its potential to challenge Google and its implications for smaller content creators.
But that’s not all. Reddit’s latest move is shaking the very foundations of the open web, while Bing’s radical redesign might be a glimpse into the future of search results. Buckle up because the search landscape is changing fast.
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SearchGPT Footage Analysis
Last week, OpenAI made waves with their announcement of SearchGPT. While the initial blog post left more questions than answers, we got our hands on some usage footage from one of the 10,000 lucky beta testers. Some of the biggest questions we had were:
How does SearchGPT compare to Google’s AI Overviews and other AI search engines like Perplexity? Is this truly the future of search or is OpenAI just trying to keep the hype train rolling? And more importantly, how accurate is it? Can they avoid those pesky hallucinations that have plagued other AI models? We’ll answer all of those questions and more in this article.
Based on the initial footage, we’ve got some unexpected takeaways to share.
SearchGPT’s Connection to Live Events
First off, the results seem impressively connected to live events. When asked about the stock market, SearchGPT accurately reported that it’s turbulent right now. In fact, at the time of recording, the S&P 500 was down 4.45% from its peak two weeks ago. That’s pretty up-to-date information. It’s particularly good at providing context from multiple angles and perspectives.
For example, the response to a query about the current presidential election polling included detailed information from national polls, battleground state polls, support among major demographics, and even info on third-party candidates. It’s like getting five Google search results rolled into one comprehensive answer. This could be a massive time saver for searchers, and we could definitely see ourselves using this to prepare article’s like this one.
One area where SearchGPT falls short is in providing links to relevant websites. For a query like “How many new books were released about AI topics over the last month?”, it only provided one link to a listicle from Publishers Weekly. You’d think someone searching for this might want to view product pages to potentially buy the books.
Direct CTAs in SearchGPT
But on the flip side, SearchGPT sometimes gives users direct call-to-actions (CTAs) to click through to a website. For a search about a specific portable stove, it finished the answer by sharing a link to the stove company’s YouTube channel and encouraging the user to visit for more info.
This is pretty interesting because while AI search will probably kill a lot of search traffic, it could also send very warm traffic to websites with such CTAs, potentially helping conversions stay decent even when there’s a big traffic drop.
SearchGPT Accuracy
Now, let’s address the elephant in the room: accuracy. There are some significant issues here. When asked about new AI books released over the last month, the headline said “New AI books released in June 2024,” but the results didn’t match up. Only one book was actually released in June 2024, with the others released in different months or not even out yet.
We also caught SearchGPT giving the wrong answer about train times. It claimed the first train from La Garriga to Barcelona typically departs at 6:00 AM, but our research shows it actually leaves at 5:56 AM or 6:26 AM. A query about major events in mediaeval Europe from 1100 to 1300 CE used a Sparknotes article as the only source.
But many of the events are not mentioned in the Sparknotes article. It appears that even the citations are subject to hallucination, which is a big problem if you’re trying to fact-check SearchGPT’s output.
Implications of LLM Hallucinations
These inaccuracies highlight the biggest challenge in using large language models (LLMs) like GPT for search results. They hallucinate information and present inaccuracies as definite fact. People expect search results to be a source of truth. If users start getting routinely incorrect answers to important queries that impact their lives negatively, like showing up late to a train station, they may lose trust in AI-generated search results entirely.
Future of SearchGPT
So what’s next for SearchGPT? OpenAI has made it clear that this is just a basic prototype. We can likely expect improvements in the presentation and packaging of information. Compared to Perplexity, which does a great job combining images, text, and easy-to-read tables, SearchGPT feels a bit basic right now. A major question looming over this project is how OpenAI will monetize it.
A recent report from tech publication, The Information, suggests OpenAI is burning through cash, potentially losing $5 billion this year, and could potentially be running out of money in just 12 months. Of course, they could run paid ads in AI search results, but it’s hard to see how that doesn’t seriously diminish the experience.
Google and Bing have traditional blue link results that they can mix ads into, but SearchGPT doesn’t have that luxury. If they go the Perplexity route with a paid subscription model, most people will likely stick to free search engines like Google and Bing, limiting their ability to capture a larger part of the search market.
If SearchGPT improves, it could potentially carve out a significant slice of Google’s search market share. And by the way, if you want to stay up to date with all the latest developments in search, subscribe to this channel so you don’t miss out.
Challenges for Small Publishers
Now, all this raises a crucial question: How would smaller publishers fare in this new landscape? To understand this, we need to look at where SearchGPT is sourcing its information. According to Originality AI, OpenAI has already secured 32 partnerships with various publishers. And we’re not talking about small fry here. We’re looking at media heavyweights like Dotdash Meredith, Vox Media, and the Associated Press.
The announcement of the deal with Dotdash Meredith revealed some interesting details about OpenAI. It stated, “As part of the agreement, OpenAI will display content and links attributed to DDM in relevant ChatGPT responses.” Now, this raises some big questions about content viability. It’s likely that content from publishers with these licensing deals will be prioritized in SearchGPT’s results.
This makes sense for OpenAI as it protects them from copyright issues that could arise from using content from publishers they haven’t signed agreements with. But the implications here are significant. If SearchGPT gains traction, it could fundamentally alter the online publishing landscape. Smaller publishers might find it increasingly difficult to get their content in front of readers, even if their content is high quality and relevant.
Implications for the Future of Search
But what does this mean for the future of search? Well, the race for AI search dominance is on. Google’s Gemini, Microsoft’s Copilot, Perplexity, and now OpenAI’s SearchGPT are all fighting to change how we find information online. But despite these solutions being available, some for over a year now, Google’s market share is still by far the most dominant, with 87.45% of search engine market share in the US.
However, newcomers like SearchGPT don’t need to beat Google entirely to succeed. Even grabbing a small piece of the market could mean big money for companies like OpenAI. One challenge these companies face is copycat features. If someone creates a game-changing search feature, Google can quickly add it to their own product. It’s like when Snapchat created stories, Instagram copied it, preventing people from migrating to Snapchat for the feature. And now most people think of Instagram when they hear stories.
Jake Kastrenakes from The Vergecast noticed something interesting about SearchGPT’s design. It has a big text box instead of the small search bar that Google uses. The implication is that the way we search is changing. Many people are asking longer and more complex personal questions in their searches.
OpenAI is encouraging that because they know that’s where they can beat traditional search. The biggest question is whether anyone can solve the hallucination problem. Search engines are expected to be accurate. Anything less is a downgrade from classic Google. And that’s why until this is solved, we don’t see AI search completely overtaking traditional search.
Reddit’s Block on Web Crawlers
While SearchGPT is trying to revolutionize how we find information, another tech giant is shaking up the search landscape in a different way. In a surprising turn of events, Reddit has blocked all web crawlers except Google. This means that other search engines, including Microsoft’s Bing, will no longer be able to show new threads and comments from Reddit in their search results. Microsoft has confirmed this block and stated that they will comply with Reddit’s wishes. But it’s not just search engines feeling the impact.
This blockade extends to crawlers that gather data for AI models as well. Unless AI providers are willing to pay for access to Reddit, like OpenAI and Google have done, they’ll be left out in the cold. This move also affects popular SEO tools like Ahrefs and Semrush, which will no longer be able to crawl Reddit. If you try to look up Reddit on Ahrefs right now, you’ll find they’re unable to show keyword positions.
According to Reddit, they’ve been in discussions with multiple search engines but have been unable to reach an agreement with all of them. Reading between the lines, it appears that Reddit wanted these search
engines to pay for access to their content. Reddit’s decision to go this route is likely driven by their desire to monetize their platform more effectively. They’re trying to leverage their valuable data to drive new revenue streams, especially as the value of their data to search engines and AI companies is enormous.
Bing’s Radical Redesign
Amid these shifts, Bing has unveiled a radical redesign that’s catching everyone’s attention. This new version integrates Microsoft’s Copilot and is designed to provide more personalized search results. It includes an updated UI that features a new chat-based approach to search, more engaging visual elements, and a greater emphasis on integration with other Microsoft products.
Bing’s redesign is an ambitious attempt to offer a more interactive and intuitive search experience. By leveraging AI, Bing aims to deliver more relevant search results and improve user satisfaction.
However, this redesign could also be a strategic move to compete more effectively with Google and other search engines. With AI playing an increasingly important role in search, Bing is positioning itself as a frontrunner in this space. The success of this redesign will likely depend on how well it can differentiate itself from competitors and meet the evolving needs of users.
Conclusion
As the search landscape continues to evolve, one thing is clear: change is coming. Whether it’s the potential of SearchGPT, Reddit’s strategic move to block web crawlers, or Bing’s ambitious redesign, we’re witnessing a period of significant transformation in how we find and interact with information online.
For content creators and digital marketers, staying informed and adaptable is more important than ever. We’ll keep you updated on these developments and how they might impact the world of search and online content.