OpenAI has expanded its ChatGPT-powered internet search to all users, stepping up competition against Google’s long-standing dominance in the search engine market.

Initially introduced in October last year, the search feature was previously exclusive to paid subscribers. With this update, OpenAI now offers free users access to up-to-date information, complete with links to relevant sources, directly challenging traditional search engines.

This upgrade allows ChatGPT to provide “fast, timely answers” by sourcing information from the web in real-time, overcoming previous limitations due to data cutoffs. Users can now access accurate and current information without relying solely on conventional search platforms.