OpenAI unveils ChatGPT.com, a Google-like search engine, without the need for login

OpenAI’s Deep Research is still a premium offering with restricted access [File]
| Photo Credit: REUTERS

OpenAI’s AI chatbot ChatGPT is now available for real-time web searches at chatgpt.com without requiring users to sign up or log into their account.

However, users will need to log into their ChatGPT accounts for advanced features such as “smarter responses,” file uploads, and image creation, per chatgpt.com.

ChatGPT Search was introduced last year as a premium feature and then expanded to all those who were signed in. However, its basic responses now allow all users to check information in real time, get the daily headlines, and so on.

OpenAI also recently introduced the Deep Research version of its ChatGPT product, which it said could synthesise sources and create a product that was on par with the work of a research analyst.

“Powered by a version of the upcoming OpenAl o3 model that’s optimized for web browsing and data analysis, it leverages reasoning to search, interpret, and analyze massive amounts of text, images, and PDFs on the internet, pivoting as needed in reaction to information it encounters. The ability to synthesize knowledge is a prerequisite for creating new knowledge,” said OpenAI in a blog post on February 2.

OpenAI’s Deep Research is still a premium offering with restricted access.