All eyes on OpenAI to see what 'magical' surprise they have in store

OpenAI's event kicks off May 13, 2024, at 10:00am PT (1:00pm ET)
A representational image of OpenAI home page didplayed on a mobile screen. — Freepik
A representational image of OpenAI home page didplayed on a mobile screen. — Freepik

Excitement is building for OpenAI's big event today, with many expecting a major announcement. Rumours swirled about a ChatGPT-powered search engine or a new open-source language model for ChatGPT. However, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman took to social media to clear the air.

Altman's post on a social media platform revealed the event wouldn't focus on "GPT-5, not a search engine." Instead, he hinted at "some new stuff we think people will love!" He described it as feeling "like magic," further fueling the anticipation.

While an AI search engine seems off the table for now, the possibility remains in the future. Companies like Perplexity are making waves in AI search, and even Google, the search giant, is experimenting with AI-powered results.

An OpenAI search engine could offer significant advantages. AI expert Ryan Morrison suggested it could function like a personal search guru, not just finding information but presenting it in a user-friendly way. However, Morrison acknowledged the challenge OpenAI faces in dethroning Google, which is actively integrating similar technology into its search.

So, what could OpenAI be unveiling? Morrison offers some educated guesses: an open-source language model, a free version of GPT-4 within ChatGPT, or an updated data set for ChatGPT. Improved web search functionality within ChatGPT is also a possibility.

The wait won't be long! The event kicks off May 13, 2024, at 10:00am PT (1:00pm ET), just before Google's I/O developer conference on May 14. All eyes will be on OpenAI to see what magical surprise they have in store.