The much-anticipated search engine by OpenAI, ChatGPT, has finally been unveiled. OpenAI made the announcement on Thursday, introducing ChatGPT Search as a new feature within the existing ChatGPT interface that quickly provides answers with links to pertinent web sources. Contrary to rumors hinting at a standalone search engine, the new feature seamlessly blends into the existing ChatGPT interface.

Users can utilize the real-time search function by either manually clicking the web search icon or by inputting their queries and letting ChatGPT decide if a web search is necessary for the most current results.

ChatGPT Search emerges as a strong contender against established players like Google Gemini and Microsoft Copilot, which have been integrating their search engines for some time now. There’s a growing preference among users for ChatGPT over Google Search, which is now perceived as being plagued with intrusive ads and low-quality content.

Until recently, newer models of ChatGPT could only fetch knowledge up until October 2023. But with the introduction of real-time search, ChatGPT now offers more current information, thanks to its partnerships with various media outlets. This includes up-to-date data for weather, stocks, sports, news, and maps.

When using ChatGPT Search, users will receive the usual conversational responses, accompanied by a button leading to a list of sources. Clicking on these sources will display a traditional search engine format complete with headlines and links to each story.

As of now, ChatGPT Search is available to ChatGPT Plus, ChatGPT Team users, and SearchGPT pilot testers. It’s set to roll out to ChatGPT Enterprise and Edu users in the coming weeks. OpenAI has also revealed plans to extend ChatGPT Search to Advanced Voice Mode and free users in the near future.