OpenAI Says ChatGPT Now Handles One-Fifth of Google's Search Volume
Change your level
Exercise 1
Vocabulary
Repeat each word, its meaning and the example sentence out loud.
volume
noun/ˈvɑːljum/the total amount or quantity of something
The volume of customer complaints increased after the software update.
query
noun/ˈkwɪri/a question or request for information
When users type a query into the search box, the algorithm finds relevant results.
disruptor
noun/dɪsˈrʌptər/something that changes the way an industry or market works, often by replacing older methods
Smartphones were a major disruptor in the mobile phone market.
referral
noun/rɪˈfɜrəl/a recommendation or direction to go somewhere or to use something
The website generates revenue from referrals when users click links to partner sites.
slated for
phrasal verb/ˈsleɪtɪd fɔr/planned or scheduled to happen at a particular time
The new office location is slated for opening in June next year.
Exercise 2
Article
Read the article aloud on your own, or listen to it first.
OpenAI Says ChatGPT Now Handles One-Fifth of Google's Search Volume
OpenAI announced that ChatGPT now processes about one-fifth of the search queries that Google does. This news shows how quickly AI-powered chatbots are changing the way people look for information online.\n\nAdam Fry, who leads ChatGPT's consumer products at OpenAI, shared this information at a press event.
He explained that OpenAI counts a search as a user query that leads to a web search. This is different from other things ChatGPT can do, like defining a word or giving simple instructions.
He did not say where the Google number came from.\n\nThis is a significant moment. Twenty percent is still much smaller than Google's size, but it shows how fast ChatGPT is growing.
For comparison, Microsoft's search engine Bing had only 3 percent of the search market share after trying for more than ten years. During Google's 2023 antitrust trial, Google itself said that AI and ChatGPT could become serious competitors in search.
Now OpenAI is proving that prediction right.\n\nThe search market is changing rapidly. Google is also responding by making fewer traditional links to other websites in its search results and investing in its own AI search tools.
Many companies are now competing to create AI-powered search experiences. For OpenAI, they call this "Intelligent UI" – which means creating a visual, interactive space inside the chatbot where users can see information presented in new ways.\n\nOpenAI, like Google, sees advertising as a way to make money.
The company has started showing ads in ChatGPT, including sponsored product images. Fry said that users have not complained much about these ads, and the company believes it can add even more advertising without hurting the user experience.\n\nThis shift is important because it shows how AI is changing business models that worked for years.
OpenAI is also reportedly planning to go public as a company in early next year, which is why making money matters right now. The way people search is changing, and companies are racing to control this new market.
Exercise 3
Discussion
Have a discussion based on the following questions.
- 1.Do you think people in your workplace have started using ChatGPT or other AI tools instead of Google to search for information? Why or why not?
- 2.OpenAI wants to show more ads in ChatGPT. Do you think this is a good idea, or could it make the product worse? What is your experience with ads in products you use?
- 3.Google recognized AI as a competitor years ago. Why do you think traditional search companies were slow to adapt to this new technology?
- 4.OpenAI calls its search experience 'Intelligent UI.' What features would make you prefer an AI chatbot search to a traditional search engine?
- 5.The article says OpenAI is planning to go public. Why do you think a company needs to make money through advertising when it is preparing to go public?
Exercise 4
Further discussion
Have a discussion based on the following questions.
- 1.How do you think the business models of traditional search engines like Google will change if more people use AI chatbots to search? What companies or services might be hurt by this change?
- 2.What are the advantages and disadvantages of AI-powered search compared to traditional search engines? Think about accuracy, speed, cost, and user control.
- 3.If AI chatbots become the main way people search for information, what opportunities and risks does this create for content creators, publishers, and advertisers?
Discuss this story out loud with our AI speaking coach.
It asks one question at a time, at your level, and gives you feedback at the end.
Start the discussion Retell itSource
This lesson is our own retelling, for English learners, of a story from The Verge.
