It's not a search engine; it's a voice assistant.
When OpenAI randomly shared late last week that it would have a big announcement to kick off Monday, rumors swirled. Was OpenAI planning to try to overshadow the planned Google I/O event that the search giant had already scheduled for the following day, Tuesday? Was OpenAI about to drop a ChatGPT-powered search engine to compete with Google?
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman seemed to dispel those rumors quickly. Then Monday came, and OpenAI announced its new AI model that combines text, vision, and audio called GPT-4o, which would be free for all ChatGPT users.
While ChatGPT will still have a paid tier, this new free AI model certainly puts OpenAI's non-paid offerings in line with what Google's AI model, Gemini, provides its users cost-free.
In addition, the GPT store filled with third-party chatbots for ChatGPT will no longer be exclusively for paying users but also for free users, opening a whole array of different third-party developer-made ChatGPT capabilities for millions of people.
For better or for worse (and I'd argue for worse), ChatGPT is undoubtedly eating into Google's search user base. Some internet users prefer chatbots for information instead of search engines. And this latest GPT model will certainly further that.
While this may dampen any free AI-related offerings Google is planning to unveil at Google I/O, the main focus of the announcement was the multimodal voice assistant, which was the real shot across the bow from OpenAI.
ChatGPT showcases the best voice assistant so far
Google likely breathed a sigh of relief after hearing ChatGPT wasn't launching a search engine. However, the voice assistant ChatGPT showed off on Monday should worry all the companies that have integrated voice assistants into their products — from Google Assistant to Amazon's Alexa and Apple's Siri.
Put aside what you think of voice assistants and whether you use them as part of your daily routine and watch this:
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The ChatGPT voice assistant easily appears to be the best on the market. Its voice is far and away more realistic than that of voice assistants that have been on the market for years. It just sounds more human than any of its competitors, from the tone of voice to the emotions displayed when speaking.
Furthermore, the voice assistant's ability to do all that while interacting with visuals basically kills off the array of new, kitschy AI hardware like the Rabbit R1 and the Humane AI Pin. The overwhelming critique for these products was that they didn't work so well initially. However, their utility now appears to be deemed entirely obsolete. I wouldn't say Google Assistant-powered Home devices are obsolete like these AI wearables, but they now sound very…outdated.
Also, recent reports suggest Apple has been working with OpenAI to bring ChatGPT to the iPhone and that Apple is looking to update its AI voice assistant, Siri. Does OpenAI's new ChatGPT voice assistant factor in with Apple, Google's most significant mobile device competitor?
OpenAI's latest announcements won't distract from Google I/O. But these new OpenAI announcements will be fresh on everyone's mind. So, even more eyeballs will be on Google's event to see what they have in store.
Of course, this all assumes OpenAI can deliver an end product comparable to what it showed off at today's event. But if they can, will Google be able to respond in kind? We'll soon find out.
