OpenAI’s latest announcement brings an exciting new feature to ChatGPT Plus, the premium version of their AI chatbot. Users can now make use of the Browsing feature within the ChatGPT app, allowing the AI to search for answers on Bing.
By accessing the New Features section in the app settings, users can enable Browsing by selecting “GPT-4” in the model switcher and choosing “Browse with Bing” from the drop-down list. This feature is available on both iOS and Android versions of the ChatGPT app.
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OpenAI highlights the usefulness of Browsing when it comes to queries about current events and other information that goes beyond the AI’s original training data, which is cut off in 2021 if Browsing is disabled.
Previously, ChatGPT could not provide accurate or useful responses to questions such as, “Who won the 2023 March Madness women’s tournament?” However, with Browsing, the chatbot becomes a more valuable research assistant.
While the introduction of Browsing enhances ChatGPT’s capabilities, the decision to limit the search functionality exclusively to Bing raises concerns.
OpenAI’s close partnership with Microsoft, which has invested over $10 billion in the startup, likely explains this choice. Nonetheless, Bing is not considered the most comprehensive search engine available.
Past analyses have indicated that Bing may have favored Microsoft-related results over Google links. Furthermore, a recent study by SurgeZirc SA revealed a concerning amount of disinformation in Bing’s top search results.
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Microsoft undoubtedly continues to refine Bing’s algorithms behind the scenes. However, the drawback of ChatGPT’s Browsing feature is that when Bing inevitably makes errors or falls short, users have no alternative search engine to turn to.
In less controversial news related to the ChatGPT app, OpenAI has introduced a new improvement which is tapping on a search result that takes you directly to the relevant point in the conversation. OpenAI plans to roll out this change, along with Browsing, within the week.
