Google just gave its AI access to Search, hours before OpenAI launched ChatGPT Search

Google launched real-time search capabilities for its Gemini AI platform on Thursday, allowing language models to access current information from Google Search. The new feature, called “Grounding with Google Search,” is aimed at developers building AI apps, distinguishing them from consumer-focused OpenAI apps Search ChatGPT same day service launched.

“We’re focused on bringing search-optimized answers into developer workflows,” said Logan Kilpatrick, product lead at Google, in an exclusive interview with VentureBeat. “We’re taking advantage of what Google does uniquely — making the world’s information accessible through search.”

Say hello to Grounding with Google Search, available in Gemini API + Google AI Studio!

You can now access real-time, fresh and up-to-date information from Google Search when building with Gemini by enabling the Grounding tool.https://t.co/oGVTOKHfM8

— Logan Kilpatrick (@OfficialLoganK) October 31, 2024

The system allows developers to supplement their AI applications with new search data, complete with citations and sources. The service costs $35 for 1,000 queriesreflecting the substantial computational requirements for real-time AI search.

The technology uses a “dynamic recovery” system that automatically determines when to access search results. Each prompt is scored between 0 and 1—current events questions score high (0.97), while creative writing prompts score low (0.13). This helps manage costs and response times while maintaining accuracy.

Inside the $49 billion battle for the future of search

Google’s move to integrate search with its AI platform comes at a critical time. The company won $49.4 billion from search advertising in Q3 2024but it faces increasing pressure from AI-based alternatives. Running these systems requires massive computing resources – OpenAI expects to spend $5 billion in computing costs only this year.

The integration also raises questions about publisher compensation. Both Google and OpenAI have entered into licensing agreements with major news organizations, although the financial terms remain private. Several publishers, incl The New York Timeshave filed lawsuits for AI systems using their content without permission.

Why OpenAI’s new ChatGPT search could change the way we find information online

A few hours after Google’s announcement, OpenAI has launched ChatGPT Searchtaking a different approach by targeting consumers directly. While Google focuses on providing tools for developers to create AI-enhanced applications for search, the OpenAI service offers end users a way to access current information about news, sports, stocks and weather through a conversational interface – notably without advertisements.

“The journey we’re on is to use Google Search in more creative ways, on more surfaces,” Shrestha Basu Mallick, Google’s group product manager for the Gemini API, said in an interview with VentureBeat. “You’ll have it through AI Studio, the Gemini APIs, and eventually it can become native to the model itself.”

This new phase of competition could reshape the way people find information online. Instead of scrolling through pages of results, users can increasingly rely on AI systems to synthesize answers from multiple sources. However, questions remain about accuracy, publisher compensation, and whether companies can build sustainable business models around these compute-intensive services.

The simultaneous releases suggest that AI-powered search could evolve into a three-way race between Google, Microsoft (through its OpenAI partnership) and OpenAI itself.

Google maintains advantages in search infrastructure and advertising revenue, while OpenAI has demonstrated its skills in creating compelling AI products for consumers. Microsoft, meanwhile, is benefiting from both by investing billions of dollars in OpenAI.