ChatGPT Now Searches the Web in Nearly a Third of Prompts, Study Finds

A new report reveals that ChatGPT performs online searches in roughly 31% of all user prompts, showing how essential real-time information has become in modern AI use. Once known mainly as a static text generator, ChatGPT is now evolving into a hybrid intelligence system — one that combines deep reasoning with instant access to the web.

The data shows that most searches are triggered when users ask for current events, product details, market trends, or highly specific technical information — topics that go beyond the AI’s built-in knowledge. This behavior highlights how users are learning to rely on ChatGPT as both a thinking partner and a research assistant, capable of blending creativity, context, and accuracy.

Experts note that this shift represents a new stage in AI adoption. Instead of switching between search engines and chatbots, people now expect one intelligent interface to do both: find relevant data online and explain it clearly. This fusion of search and reasoning is likely to transform how we gather and understand information, making digital assistants more integral to daily workflows.

As OpenAI continues to refine its web access tools, future versions of ChatGPT may go even further — verifying sources, tracking data reliability, and offering live insights from across the internet. With one in three prompts already involving web searches, the line between AI chat and online research is becoming thinner than ever before.