Skift Take
ChatGPT is now a better place to start making travel plans, but finalizing those plans still needs to happen the traditional way.
OpenAI made arguably its biggest update yet to ChatGPT on Thursday.
Users can now ask ChatGPT to search the web, combining real-time results with AI-generated content. This has obvious implications for travel and addresses early criticism of ChatGPT — that it has been able to answer general questions about a destination, but not share real-time information like upcoming events.
OpenAI says it plans to continue strengthening its search engine with a particular focus on travel.
This new version of ChatGPT most closely resembles the AI search engine on Bing, which Microsoft launched in early 2023. Like Bing, the new search engine by OpenAI is more useful in some ways because it cites links. Also like Bing, the search results on the new ChatGPT search engine can be inaccurate.
Skift tested how the new web search function on ChatGPT works for flights, hotels, activities and attractions, and restaurants.
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