OpenAI says ChatGPT processes search queries at a scale equal to one-fifth of Google’s volume. The company’s comparison points to a growing role for AI chatbots in finding information, though the figures come with an important caveat: OpenAI did not identify where its Google search-volume estimate came from.
What OpenAI counts as a search
Adam Fry, OpenAI’s consumer product lead for ChatGPT, shared the figure at a press event on Monday. He said OpenAI counts a search when a user enters a query that leads to a web search. A request to define a term or provide a simple how-to explanation does not count under that definition.
That distinction matters because ChatGPT can respond to many kinds of prompts, and not every answer requires a search of the web. The one-fifth comparison refers to the subset that OpenAI classifies as searches, rather than all use of ChatGPT. Fry did not specify the source of the Google search-volume number, so the comparison lacks detail about how that benchmark was assembled.
Even with that qualification, the scale is notable. OpenAI’s claim suggests that web searches through ChatGPT have become a meaningful part of the search landscape. But one-fifth of Google’s volume is still a considerable distance from matching it.
A different kind of competition
The comparison also puts ChatGPT alongside other efforts to challenge Google. During Google’s 2023 antitrust trial, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said Bing had about 3 percent of the search engine market share after trying for more than a decade. That comparison illustrates how difficult it has been for a rival to gain ground, even when it comes from a major technology company.
Search through an AI chatbot may not work like a conventional search engine. OpenAI appears to see the response itself as a place to present information in a more interactive form. Fry described that direction as “Intelligent UI,” with visual and interactive elements inside a chatbot response. “That’s where the future of this technology goes. You’re talking to a canvas,” he said.
OpenAI likely uses Microsoft Bing for a significant part of its searches, along with its in-house search index, according to the source article. The article also notes speculation that some queries may route through Google. That uncertainty is a reminder that a chatbot’s search experience and the systems supplying results can involve several layers.
Google is also changing search
The competitive shift is happening as Google invests in AI features and reduces conventional referrals to third-party sites. The company has added AI Overview and is pursuing other generative AI capabilities, including personalized search results with visualizations and charts.
That evolution means the contest is not only about how many queries each service handles. It is also about what a search result looks like, how much interaction it invites, and whether users continue on to other websites. OpenAI and other AI labs are developing search experiences that put answers and tools directly into the interface, while Google is adding generative features to its own service.
For publishers and other sites, a move toward answers inside search products could mean fewer traditional referrals. The source article describes Google’s decline in conventional referrals and a broader rise in AI-focused search experiences, but it does not quantify the effects on individual websites.
Ads become part of the search picture
OpenAI also sees advertising as a possible route to profitability, as it approaches an IPO potentially slated for early next year. Fry said ads had not caused a lasting backlash and argued that they had not harmed the product or its usage. Those comments describe the company’s view of the response so far.
Last month, OpenAI announced that it would begin showing images of sponsored products and services in ChatGPT. Previously, sponsored placements showed a company’s name, logo, and a link to its product. Fry said the experience had suggested that the company might be able to do more with ads.
Together, the search-volume claim, the push toward interactive answers, and the addition of sponsored product images show how OpenAI is shaping ChatGPT into more than a conversational tool. The company is building a search experience and exploring how to fund it. Whether that approach can close the gap with Google will depend on how people use it and how the product develops.