ChatGPT search volume now 20 percent of Google's, OpenAI says

OpenAI's disclosure that ChatGPT search volume equals 20 percent of Google's marks a notable shift in how people find information online. For context, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said during Google's 2023 antitrust trial that Bing had about 3 percent of the search engine market share after more than a decade of trying, making OpenAI's claimed share appear substantial by comparison. During that trial, Google described AI as a potential disruptor and argued ChatGPT was poised to seriously compete with it—a view OpenAI now seems to endorse.

The news arrives as Google continues to reduce conventional referrals to third-party sites and invests heavily in AI tools, including AI Overview and personalized search results with visualizations and charts. Meanwhile, other companies are building similar AI-focused search experiences, which OpenAI calls "Intelligent UI," described by Fry as creating a visual and interactive interface within a chatbot response. He summed up the direction: "You're talking to a canvas."

OpenAI also sees ads as a potential path to profitability, particularly as it approaches an IPO potentially slated for early next year. Fry told reporters that ads have not produced a lasting backlash, saying "Ads have not negatively impacted the product or the usage of the product" and that "most people do not seem to mind ads in the product." He added that ads have shown the company it could be doing more with them.