Reports suggest OpenAI's search engine may be released before May 14

We had previously reported that OpenAI is developing a web search product. While there was no timeline provided at the time, several sources now suggest that OpenAI’s search engine may hit the market before May 14, 2024, the day Google I/O 2024 is about to be held.

The insider, Jimmy Apples, in a series of posts on X, revealed that OpenAI was actively hiring for house events staff and events marketing in January and onboarded an events manager last month. He even shared information about OpenAI registering 50+ new async subdomains between April 24 and April 28.

Jimmy then goes on to share the release date for OpenAI’s search engine. It’s 10 AM on May 9, 2024!

10am, 9th of May for an Openai event apparently, might not be model release but search engine announcement.

Guess they can’t help themselves to upstage Google I/O

( Can’t guarantee this, event times and dates can be changed )

— Jimmy Apples 🍎/acc (@apples_jimmy) April 30, 2024

So far, Microsoft and OpenAI have been tight-lipped about the developments and haven’t confirmed or denied it. But, given the previous reports and more insider information emerging now, it’s highly likely that OpenAI will unveil its native search engine on May 9.

Is Google’s dominance in the search landscape about to falter?

Google has been the biggest player in the search engine landscape for as long as I can remember. At present, Google has an 86.99% market share, followed by 5.8% of Bing, 3.06% of Yahoo, and 1.61% of Yandex, as per Statcounter.

All previous efforts by Microsoft’s native search engine, Bing, to counter Google’s supremacy failed to yield any significant results. But, with Bing’s daily user base hitting 140 million, many have started to believe that the winds of change are finally blowing. EU’s DMA (Digital Markets Act) also played a significant role in this shift!

So, at a time when the Mountain View-based tech giant is losing users to smaller players, OpenAI’s native search engine might spell trouble for Google.

OpenAI’s previous venture, ChatGPT, was a huge success and was the first interaction with an AI-based chatbot for most of us. Riding on that wave, OpenAI’s next offering, a search engine, might be an instant hit with users.

Whether it manages to maintain the momentum depends on the search engine’s effectiveness and Google’s response.

But if OpenAI does release a search engine, Google will undoubtedly be in some trouble!

Want to get a peek into how artificial intelligence could enhance the search experience? Discover our top picks for AI-powered search engines.

What’s your take on OpenAI’s latest offering? Share with our readers in the comments section.