As Google prepares for its annual I/O conference, the tech industry is abuzz with news that OpenAI is gearing up to announce a search product powered by AI that could directly compete with the search giant.

The Verge reports that in a move that could potentially disrupt Google’s stranglehold on the search industry, OpenAI is reportedly set to announce an AI-based search product on Monday, just one day before Google’s I/O conference. This fresh development, revealed by two sources familiar with the matter, follows earlier reports from Bloomberg and the Information, both suggesting OpenAI is working on a sophisticated search feature.

Sam Altman, chief executive officer of OpenAI Inc., speaks with members of the media during the Allen & Co. Media and Technology Conference in Sun Valley, Idaho, US, on Wednesday, July 12, 2023. The summit is typically a hotbed for etching out mergers over handshakes, but could take on a much different tone this year against the backdrop of lackluster deal volume, inflation and higher interest rates. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Both Bloomberg and the Information have reported on the new search feature, with Bloomberg suggesting that OpenAI’s search will be built into its popular ChatGPT chatbot and include citations, while the Information reports OpenAI’s search service could be “partly powered by Bing.” This new search product could leverage the existing trust users have in OpenAI’s services, providing an alternative to Google’s search offerings.

OpenAI had previously attempted to grant ChatGPT access to live web data via ChatGPT plugins before retiring them in favor of GPTs. The company’s apparent shift in strategy comes as Google faces increased competition in the search industry. With OpenAI reportedly aggressively trying to poach Google employees for its search offering and the DOJ’s ongoing antitrust case regarding Google’s dominance in search, the industry is seeing a significant shift in its competitive landscape.

Google search boss Prabhakar Raghavan recently acknowledged the potential threats to Google’s dominance, stating, “It’s not like life is going to be hunky-dory, forever. If there’s a clear and present market reality, we need to twitch faster, like the athletes twitch faster.” Google’s response to these challenges will be critical to maintaining its position in the search industry.