ChatGPT’s Search Domination: 7 Reasons Why Traditional Search is Dead With an avalanche of news this week, keeping up with all the major updates can be challenging. To assist you, we’ve put together the Weekly Tech Recap, highlighting the most significant happenings in the tech world. This week, OpenAI introduced its long-anticipated ChatGPT Search feature, Apple refreshed its MacBook lineup, the OnePlus 13 and iQOO 13 were launched in China, Android 16 was given a release timeline, and iOS 18.1 with Apple Intelligence began rolling out. Let’s dive into the week’s top tech stories.

OpenAI has finally unveiled a search functionality in ChatGPT, aiming to compete with Google and Microsoft Bing. This new feature, powered by the GPT-4o model, evolves from the earlier SearchGPT prototype. The search function activates by default based on user queries, but users can also manually initiate it using a new web search icon next to the attachment icon.

In a significant update, Apple launched new MacBook Pro models equipped with M4 chips, along with a revamped Mac Mini and iMac. The standout of this release is the slim, lightweight Mac Mini, now featuring M4 and M4 Pro chipsets. Priced at ₹59,900 for the 256GB SSD model, the new Mac Mini is touted as an affordable option for everyday users. The new MacBook Pro lineup starts at ₹1,69,900, while the updated iMac begins at ₹1,34,900 in India.

Google has confirmed that Android 16 will be released earlier than its typical schedule. The company stated that this update aims to enhance innovation in apps and devices, offering improved stability and polish. Historically, Google releases new Android versions in the latter half of the year, with the last exception being Android 4.1 Jelly Bean back in 2012.

Apple has rolled out the first batch of its AI features, dubbed Apple Intelligence, as part of the iOS 18.1 update. These features, initially announced at WWDC 2024, were not ready in time for the iPhone 16 launch in September. The iOS 18.1 update introduces various AI enhancements for iPhones, including a more conversational Siri, advanced writing tools, call recording transcriptions, smart replies in Mail and Messages, AI-driven Focus Modes, and more.

Lastly, the first smartphones powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip have been launched, including the OnePlus 13, iQOO 13, and Realme GT 7 Pro, all unveiled in China. These devices come with IP68/IP69 ratings, ultrasonic fingerprint sensors, over 6,000mAh batteries, and fast charging capabilities. The iQOO 13 starts at 3,999 yuan (approximately ₹47,000) for the base model with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage, while the OnePlus 13 is priced at 4,499 yuan (around ₹53,150) for the same RAM and storage configuration.

ChatGPT’s Search Domination: 7 Reasons Why Traditional Search is Dead On Thursday, OpenAI enhanced its ChatGPT generative AI chatbot by incorporating search engine functionalities, challenging Google’s long-standing dominance in web search. This upgrade allows users to receive “fast, timely answers” along with links to relevant web sources, which previously required a traditional search engine, according to the company.

The significant improvement enables ChatGPT to deliver real-time information from across the internet. Users can now find direct tabs on the ChatGPT homepage for various topics such as weather forecasts, stock prices, sports scores, and breaking news, linking to content from providers like France’s Le Monde, Germany’s Axel Springer, and the UK’s Financial Times.

Screenshots of the new interface on OpenAI’s website closely resemble Google search results and Google Maps, but without the typical advertising clutter. They also bear similarities to the interface of Perplexity, another AI-driven search engine that provides a conversational approach to search results with cited sources.

Both OpenAI and Perplexity are currently facing lawsuits from the New York Times for allegedly scraping or linking to copyrighted content without permission. Instead of introducing a separate product, OpenAI has integrated the search feature directly into ChatGPT for paying subscribers, with plans to roll it out to free users as well. Users can choose to enable the search functionality by default or activate it manually using a web search icon.

OpenAI has noted that any website or publisher can opt to appear in ChatGPT’s search results, and they are actively seeking feedback from content creators to enhance the system. Since their inception, AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Anthropic’s Claude have been limited by time cutoffs, which hindered the timeliness of their responses. This has been a recognized drawback for OpenAI, particularly since it lacks a standalone search engine to provide up-to-date information, unlike Google and Microsoft, which blend AI responses with web search results.

Currently, the new feature does not include advertising, allowing ChatGPT to present cleaner results than Google. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman expressed on X that search is his “favorite feature” launched on ChatGPT since its debut in 2022, noting that it offers a much faster and easier way to find information.

The launch raises questions about OpenAI’s relationship with Microsoft, a significant investor in the company, which is also working to expand its Bing search engine to compete with Google. Altman is steering OpenAI towards becoming a major player on the internet, recently achieving a remarkable $157 billion valuation in fundraising that included investments from Microsoft, Tokyo-based SoftBank, and AI chipmaker Nvidia. Adding search engine capabilities is expected to increase the company’s computing demands and associated costs, which are already substantial.