Oct 31 (Reuters) - OpenAI on Thursday added a set of new

search functions to its popular large language model ChatGPT,

opting to integrate the feature into the chatbot instead of

launching a separate product.

The AI giant is venturing into a territory long dominated by

Alphabet's Google, also placing it in competition with

OpenAI-backer Microsoft's ( MSFT ) Bing and emerging services

such as Perplexity - a search-focused AI chatbot firm backed by

Amazon ( AMZN ) founder Jeff Bezos and semiconductor giant

Nvidia ( NVDA ).

OpenAI said that ChatGPT search will choose to dig the web

based on what users ask and will provide fast, timely answers

with links to relevant web sources.

"ChatGPT search leverages third-party search providers, as

well as content provided directly by our partners, to provide

the information users are looking for," OpenAI said in a blog

post.

The search model is a fine-tuned version of GPT-4o, the

startup said, adding that all ChatGPT Plus and Team users will

have access to it on Thursday.

Enterprise and educational customers will be able to access

the features in coming weeks, while it will be rolled out to

free users over the coming months.

The Sam Altman-led startup has signed content deals with

several publishers this year, including Condé Nast, Time

magazine, the Financial Times, Business Insider-owner Axel

Springer, France's Le Monde and Spain's Prisa Media.

OpenAI said it collaborated extensively with the news

industry and gathered feedback from its partners on the search

function. Any website or publisher can choose to appear⁠ in

ChatGPT search.

In July, OpenAI selectively launched SearchGPT, an

AI-powered search engine prototype with real-time access to

information from the internet.

Earlier in October, OpenAI raised $6.6 billion in funding

from investors, which could value the company at $157 billion

and cement its position as one of the most valuable private

companies in the world.