News Summary

OpenAI’s ChatGPT search feature, which allows the chatbot to access and integrate real-time web information into its responses, is experiencing rapid growth in Europe. According to OpenAI Ireland Limited, ChatGPT search has seen a significant increase in average monthly active recipients, reaching approximately 41.3 million for the six-month period ending in March 2025, up from 11.2 million in the previous six-month period ending October 2024. This growth positions ChatGPT search as a rising competitor to established search engines like Google, although Google remains the dominant player. The expansion of ChatGPT search has brought it closer to the threshold set by the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), which imposes stricter regulations on platforms with over 45 million average monthly recipients. Non-compliance with DSA rules could result in substantial fines or even temporary suspension within the EU. Despite its growth, studies have shown that ChatGPT search and other AI-powered search engines can be less reliable than traditional search engines, with accuracy issues observed in news content handling.