US — The Verge

OpenAI says ChatGPT is catching up to Google in search

AINovember 4, 20261 min read

OpenAI says people now run about one-fifth as many web searches through ChatGPT as through Google. This shows AI chatbots are becoming a real rival to Google Search.

What happened

At a press event on Monday, OpenAI said the number of search queries run through ChatGPT now equals 20 percent of the number run through Google. OpenAI's consumer product lead for ChatGPT, Adam Fry, made the announcement. He said a search means any time a user types a query that leads to a web search. Simple questions, like defining a word, do not count. Fry did not say where the Google number came from.

Key numbers and facts

ChatGPT searches equal 20 percent of Google's search volume, according to OpenAI.
In Google's 2023 antitrust trial, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said Bing had about 3 percent of the search market after more than a decade of trying.
OpenAI may plan an IPO (a first sale of company shares to the public) as early as next year.

Some context

Many people now say they will 'Ask Chat' instead of 'Google it.' Google is still the biggest search engine, and it is adding AI features to its results. During the trial, Google said AI chatbots like ChatGPT could seriously compete with it. Now OpenAI seems to agree. OpenAI likely uses Microsoft Bing for part of its searches, plus its own search index, which is a database of web pages used to find answers.

Why it matters

This is a sign that people are changing how they look for information online. If chatbots keep taking searches from Google, companies that rely on Google traffic could be affected. It also shows that OpenAI wants to earn money from ads, as Google does. Fry said ads have not hurt how people use ChatGPT, though he did not show proof of this.

What to watch

Whether ChatGPT's share of searches keeps growing compared with Google.
How ads inside ChatGPT change, including the new sponsored product images.
Whether users keep accepting ads in ChatGPT.
Details of OpenAI's possible IPO next year.

Glossary

ChatGPT: An AI chatbot from OpenAI that answers questions and writes text in a chat window.
OpenAI: The AI company that makes ChatGPT.
Google: The company that runs the biggest web search engine.
Bing: Microsoft's web search engine.
IPO: Initial public offering, the first time a company sells its shares to the public.

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