OpenAI, the renowned artificial intelligence research firm, has announced the testing phase for SearchGPT, a new search engine powered by generative artificial intelligence (AI). This development raises the possibility of a significant challenge to Google's long-standing dominance in the online search market.

SearchGPT will initially be launched with a limited group of users and publishers, with the potential for wider availability in the future. Unlike a standalone product, OpenAI intends to incorporate the search features into its ChatGPT platform. The company stated that SearchGPT is a temporary prototype that will combine its AI models, including ChatGPT, with the ability to search the internet. This integration will allow SearchGPT to deliver conversational responses to user queries while providing up-to-date information with clear links to relevant sources.

By introducing this search functionality, OpenAI positions itself as a direct competitor to major search engines like Google and Bing, which is a product of OpenAI's largest investor, Microsoft. The incorporation of generative AI into search engines has become a race among tech companies, despite concerns over inaccuracies and copyright issues associated with AI-generated content.

OpenAI claims that SearchGPT offers a new way to search, eliminating the need for multiple attempts to obtain relevant results. The company believes that by enhancing the conversational capabilities of its AI models with real-time information from the web, finding desired information can become faster and easier.

However, depending on how SearchGPT presents and cites its information sources, OpenAI may face pushback from publishers concerned about the utilization of their content. Several news outlets and media organizations, including the New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, the Intercept, and various local papers, have taken legal action against OpenAI, alleging copyright violations. These publishers argue that OpenAI unlawfully trained its AI models on their published work, profiting from copyrighted material without consent or compensation.

OpenAI, on the other hand, refutes these claims, stating that its use of copyrighted data in training products like ChatGPT falls under the doctrine of "fair use." The incorporation of AI-generated search features by other companies has also faced criticism from users and publishers. For example, Google's recently launched AI-enabled search feature, AI Overviews, which provides summaries of content without requiring users to visit external websites, received backlash from publishers and creators concerned about the potential impact on traffic and advertising revenue.

Notably, another AI-powered search engine called Perplexity has also faced legal threats from publishers for using their content without permission. In contrast, OpenAI has stated that it is partnering with publishers for SearchGPT and offering them options regarding how their content appears in search results. The company aims to promote trusted sources and ensure a fair relationship with publishers.

OpenAI's exploration of the online search industry comes at a time when Google is facing an antitrust lawsuit filed by the US Department of Justice. The lawsuit alleges that Google illegally monopolized the internet search market through billion-dollar deals with companies like Apple and Samsung to secure its position as the default browser on their devices.

As OpenAI advances its SearchGPT capabilities, the potential emergence of a viable competitor in the online search market could pose a significant challenge to Google's near-hegemonic dominance. The outcome of both legal battles and the perception of publishers and users will determine how SearchGPT and similar AI-powered search engines shape the future of internet search.