Amidst anticipation for OpenAI’s next flagship model, recent reports hint at the possibility of the innovative startup venturing into the realm of search engines. Jimmy Apples, formerly of Twitter, shared insights suggesting that OpenAI might unveil a search engine instead of a model during an upcoming in-house event on May 9th at 10 am.
Interestingly, this potential move aligns with Google’s scheduled Google I/O event on May 14th, possibly indicating a strategic maneuver by OpenAI to make waves ahead of Google’s annual developer conference, where significant AI announcements are expected.
Adding weight to the speculation, Jimmy Apples referenced a log file on Pastebin, revealing "search.chatgpt.com" as a subdomain. However, he cautioned against reading too much into it, noting that it could be something mundane or generic. Presently, the subdomain yields a “Not found” message, without providing a typical 404 or NXDOMAIN error. Despite my inspection of the page, no content is currently visible.
Delving deeper, I examined the SSL certificate for search.chatgpt.com, which indicates issuance on April 25, 2024, with an expiration date of July 24, 2024. Furthermore, Google has indexed search.chatgpt.com, though it is notably absent from Bing and DuckDuckGo searches.
Back in February, The Information reported that OpenAI is in the process of developing a web search product poised to challenge Google on its home turf. According to the report, this search product will be partially powered by Bing. It seems that the growing trend of people utilizing ChatGPT in a manner akin to a search engine has inspired OpenAI to explore the creation of an alternative to Google Search.
During a podcast conversation with Lex Fridman, Sam Altman shared his perspective when questioned about how people would access information and whether OpenAI is prepared to compete with Google Search.
Altman expressed his disinterest in the notion, deeming it “boring.” He acknowledged the possibility of constructing a superior search engine to Google but emphasized a broader vision. Altman highlighted the limitations of Google’s approach, characterized by presenting a list of links and advertisements, envisioning a more innovative approach to information discovery and utilization.
Altman concluded by remarking, “I don’t think the world needs another copy of Google.” This sentiment underscores OpenAI’s ambition to innovate beyond mere replication. The impending revelation of OpenAI’s initiatives and the potential for an event in May have sparked intrigue. What are your thoughts on these developments? Share your insights in the comments below.
