OpenAI says ChatGPT search volume reaches one fifth of Google's

OpenAI says ChatGPT now processes one fifth of the search query volume that Google handles. Adam Fry, OpenAI's consumer product lead for ChatGPT, announced the figure at a press event and said the company counts a search only when a user query leads to a web search. The figure is far below Google's volume, but it comes as AI services reshape how people look for information.

How OpenAI defines search

OpenAI says the volume of search queries run through ChatGPT now equals 20 percent of the volume run through Google. Fry did not specify the source of the Google search volume number. OpenAI defines a search as any time a user inputs a query that results in a web search, as opposed to tasks like defining a term or a simple how-to explanation. Having one fifth as many searches as Google is still a long way from overtaking it. For comparison, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said during Google's 2023 antitrust trial that Bing had about 3 percent of the search engine market share after trying for more than a decade. During the trial, Google described AI as a potential disruptor, arguing ChatGPT was poised to seriously compete with it. Now, OpenAI seems to agree. OpenAI likely uses Microsoft Bing for a significant part of its searches, along with its in-house search index, although there is still some speculation that it routes some queries through Google.

Search experience and competitors

The announcement comes amid an ongoing search engine shake-up. Google continues to reduce conventional referrals to third-party sites and invests heavily in AI tools, including AI Overview and additional generative AI capabilities such as personalized search results with visualizations and charts. Other companies are investing in similar AI-focused search experiences, even if they use different names. For OpenAI, that approach is "Intelligent UI," or creating a visual and interactive interface within a chatbot response. "That's where the future of this technology goes. You're talking to a canvas," Fry said.

Ads and profitability

OpenAI sees a potential path to profitability through ads, particularly as it approaches an IPO potentially slated for early next year. OpenAI has defended its ads in the past, and Fry told reporters they had not produced a lasting backlash. "Ads have not negatively impacted the product or the usage of the product," he said, adding that "most people do not seem to mind ads in the product." OpenAI announced last month that the company would begin introducing images of sponsored products and services in ChatGPT rather than just a company's name, logo, and a link to its product like before. "Ads have maybe shown us that we could be doing this more, actually," Fry said.

Sources: The Verge