Will OpenAI Launch a GPT‑Powered Search Engine to Challenge Google?

OpenAI announced a Spring Updates event scheduled for May 13 (Pacific Time) / May 14 (China), with the main focus on new features for ChatGPT and GPT‑4.

Multiple sources claim that OpenAI is preparing a ChatGPT‑powered search engine that would compete directly with Google, rather than relying on Microsoft Bing. Leaked information from a well‑known tipster, Jimmy Apples, suggested a launch around May 9, just before Google I/O.

Evidence supporting the search‑engine rumor includes a change on OpenAI’s homepage to the slogan “Ask ChatGPT anything,” SSL certificate logs showing the creation of the domain http://search.chatgpt.com and several newly added sub‑domains, indicating infrastructure for a web‑search service.

In a Lex Fridman podcast, CEO Sam Altman remarked that the intersection of large models and search is still largely unexplored and expressed enthusiasm for tackling it, implying a strategic interest in building such a product.

However, Altman later clarified that the upcoming event would not unveil GPT‑5 nor a search engine, suggesting that the actual announcement might be an AI Agent or assistant‑type feature rather than a full‑scale search platform.

Additional speculation links OpenAI to Apple: Bloomberg reports a deal to embed ChatGPT in iPhone, while Apple is reportedly negotiating licensing for Google’s Gemini chatbot. OpenAI is also developing an AI voice assistant with audio and visual understanding, which could be announced at WWDC 2024 and potentially ship with iOS 18.

Overall, while the hype surrounding a new AI search engine is strong, the concrete updates from the Spring event may be limited to incremental improvements and new assistant capabilities rather than a full‑blown competitor to Google Search.