• ChatGPT has bolstered its search features to better compete with reigning champion Google.
• This includes better citations, autocomplete searches and products in-search.
• These features are available for free to everyone.

OpenAI, the creators of ChatGPT, arguably the most popular generative AI chatbot in the world, have begun rolling out a suite of new features to enhance search functions on the platform. One of these features includes a way to shop directly from the generative AI platform in a direct competitive move against Google.

“We’re experimenting with making shopping simpler and faster to find, compare, and buy products in ChatGPT,” says OpenAI in a thread on Twitter, now X. This update it set to begin rolling out today to “Plus, Pro, Free, and logged-out users everywhere ChatGPT is available” that is to say, everyone.

Though it has yet to roll-out in South Africa.

The update sees the chatbot able to show the user a set of products, including links and prices akin to how Google offers products after a Google Search at the top of the webpage.

Shopping

We’re experimenting with making shopping simpler and faster to find, compare, and buy products in ChatGPT.

✅ Improved product results
✅ Visual product details, pricing, and reviews
✅ Direct links to buy

Product results are chosen independently and are not ads.… pic.twitter.com/PkZwsTxJUj

— OpenAI (@OpenAI) April 28, 2025

Searching for products on Google has long been a feature of the search giant. Importantly, ChatGPT indicates that “Product results are chosen independently and are not ads.” Google offers a similar setup for its mobile version, showing product categories above search results, including prices and shopping links.

We’re hoping that with ChatGPT, shoppers could track down the perfect products for them using prompting. Like, the exact GPU to match your budget and the game you want to run with it, for example.

Unlike Google, ChatGPT has yet to include any advertising in its search results, but as costs climb for the AI startup, some believe it is only a matter of time. There are concerns that some products could seen be given priority over others in the future, but that is pure speculation at the moment.

Other features OpenAI has rolled out with ChatGPT include giving ChatGPT a WhatsApp account where users can chat with the bot directly from the Meta app. ChatGPT has also added trending searching and Google-like autocomplete and improved citations so you can see which sources where used for what pieces of information.

Unfortunately for Google, whose AI search once told people to eat rocks daily, ChatGPT continues to have the advantage with AI search, likely because it hasn’t been retroactively adding generative AI features to an established search product. OpenAI’s chatbot is also growing exponentially more popular by the year.

Could we be looking at the uncrowned future king of search?