Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has boldly claimed that the latest update to ChatGPT 4o makes it the “best search product on the web,” signaling the company’s ambitions to challenge Google and other AI-powered search engines.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, Altman declared that ChatGPT 4o is already “pretty good” but is “soon going to get much better.” His comments come as OpenAI continues to refine its AI model, which has increasingly drawn attention for its advanced writing capabilities and ability to process text, audio, and images.
Altman also retweeted several posts praising ChatGPT’s output, with some users calling its writing skills “unbelievably good” and “human-like.” However, it is not clear whether he was referring to a new update beyond the enhancements OpenAI detailed on January 29.
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GPT-4o’s Evolution and Its Role in AI Search
Since its debut in May 2024, GPT-4o (where “o” stands for omni) has set new benchmarks for AI-driven interactions. Its ability to seamlessly integrate different modes of communication—text, voice, and images—has positioned it as a multi-purpose assistant, pushing the boundaries of what AI can achieve.
OpenAI recently emphasized the model’s improved ability to provide more relevant, current, and contextually accurate responses, particularly regarding cultural and social trends. This enhancement appears to be aimed directly at bolstering ChatGPT’s position as a search alternative, a space long dominated by Google.
Altman’s latest remarks reflect OpenAI’s confidence in GPT-4o’s expanding role as a search tool, a feature that has become increasingly popular among users who seek AI-driven answers rather than traditional search engine results.
Altman’s comments on search came in response to a lighthearted exchange with Aravind Srinivas, the founder and CEO of Perplexity, an AI search startup that has been gaining traction as a Google alternative.
Srinivas, who previously worked at OpenAI, responded to Altman’s post with a cheeky “sorry what’s the update?” seemingly challenging Altman’s claims.
Altman fired back, saying that “among many other things, it’s the best search product on the web” and encouraged Srinivas to try it out. Srinivas, in turn, highlighted Perplexity’s own progress, noting that his company had just launched a “deep research agent.”
Altman ended the exchange with a friendly but competitive tone, telling Srinivas to “keep cooking out there” and that he was “proud.”
The playful back-and-forth hints at the growing competition in AI-powered search, where ChatGPT and Perplexity have emerged as key players aiming to redefine how users find and consume information.
A Real Challenge to Google?
ChatGPT’s rising dominance in AI search has not gone unnoticed. According to research from Evercore ISI, ChatGPT’s search market share grew significantly between June and November 2024, marking the first real challenge to Google’s supremacy in years.
Google has long maintained its dominance in search, but as AI-driven assistants become more sophisticated, users are increasingly relying on AI models like ChatGPT for direct answers. This shift could pose a long-term threat to Google’s lucrative search business, which generates the bulk of its revenue through advertising.
While ChatGPT is not yet a full-fledged search engine, OpenAI’s rapid advancements suggest that the company is positioning itself as a major player in the search market, with the potential to disrupt an industry historically controlled by Google.
Altman’s confidence in ChatGPT 4o also suggests that OpenAI may have bigger plans for AI search, possibly expanding ChatGPT’s capabilities to provide real-time, web-based search results—a feature that has been in high demand among users.
With Google, Perplexity, and other AI-driven search engines innovating rapidly, the race to dominate the next generation of search is heating up. Time will tell whether ChatGPT 4o can truly replace traditional search engines, but Altman’s declaration marks a shift in the web search landscape.