Investing.com -- OpenAI announced on Monday that it has upgraded the web search capabilities of its ChatGPT tool to enhance online shopping experiences. The update will provide users with personalized product recommendations, complete with images, reviews, and direct purchase links.

Since its launch last year, ChatGPT’s search feature has gained significant traction, becoming one of OpenAI’s most in-demand tools. In the past week alone, it has performed over 1 billion web searches, according to the company.

The enhanced feature will be incorporated into the default AI model, GPT-4o, and will be available to all ChatGPT users worldwide. This includes those on Pro, Plus, and Free tiers, and even those who use the service without logging in.

When users pose specific questions, they will receive customized product suggestions across various categories, including fashion, beauty, home goods, and electronics. The update will not include advertisements, and OpenAI has stated that it will not receive any commissions from purchases made through the ChatGPT platform.

The shopping results will be independently determined, relying on structured metadata from third-party sources for pricing, product descriptions, and reviews. This move is part of OpenAI’s strategy to challenge Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL )’s dominance in search by providing a more user-focused alternative, in contrast to Google’s advertising-heavy search results.

OpenAI’s user base has been growing rapidly. In February, the number of weekly active users exceeded 400 million, as reported by a company spokesperson.

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