OpenAI has recently announced the official launch of the web search feature for ChatGPT, their popular generative AI chatbot. This update comes after a beta release and several months of hiatus. Previously, ChatGPT was limited to data up until September 2021, making it unable to perform real-time searches. However, OpenAI began introducing internet services to ChatGPT in March, despite the inherent risks associated with browsing the live web.
Key Takeaway
OpenAI has officially introduced web search functionality to ChatGPT, providing real-time search capabilities to its users. Alongside this update, DALL-E 3 integration enables users to generate text-based responses combined with relevant images. These advancements align with OpenAI’s goal of creating a comprehensive, real-time, and multimedia generative search engine.
Last May, OpenAI started integrating web search via Bing, partnering with Microsoft, their corporate backer. Initially, access was limited, but it was eventually extended to the ChatGPT mobile app in late June. However, the feature was temporarily removed due to issues with displaying paywalled content. OpenAI has now reintroduced the Browse with Bing feature, making improvements to how ChatGPT follows instructions provided by content owners, ensuring compliance with sites’ Robots.txt files.
The Browse with Bing feature is now available to all Plus and Enterprise subscribers, without the need for toggling the beta switch in settings, offering a more comprehensive search experience within ChatGPT.
DALL-E 3 Integration
In addition to the web search feature, OpenAI has also introduced DALL-E 3 into beta, a month after its initial release. DALL-E 3 is a text-to-image generator that seamlessly integrates with ChatGPT. With this integration, users can generate images based on their text prompts without the need for separate applications.
By embedding DALL-E 3 directly into ChatGPT, users can now receive text-based responses combined with relevant images, enhancing the overall user experience. Activating DALL-E 3 can be done by selecting “DALL-E 3 (Beta)” from the GPT-4 tab within ChatGPT on both web and mobile platforms.
Expanding Capabilities
This recent update marks a significant step towards transforming ChatGPT into a multimedia generative search engine. Aside from its original text-based generation, ChatGPT now supports verbal conversations, allowing users to interact with it through voice commands. Additionally, users can search for answers using images, enabling them to upload pictures of objects and discover relevant information or find similar items.
