Anthropic Claude Evolves into a Web Search Tool

On Thursday, Anthropic announced the launch of its new web search feature, diving into the competitive world of AI-driven search tools. This new capability is built on the Claude 3.7 Sonnet model, enhancing the chatbot experience by integrating web search directly into the interface.

Users can activate this feature through their profile settings. When a user makes a prompt, the AI will provide contextual search results that include links to sources, rather than just a list of standard search results. Initially, this web search capability will be accessible only to paid customers in the U.S., with plans for broader availability in the future.

The introduction of the web search feature aligns Anthropic with leading AI companies like OpenAI. Just last fall, OpenAI rolled out a similar search tool for its ChatGPT platform, which started as an exclusive feature for paid subscribers before expanding to a wider audience. Despite Anthropic's connection with Google as a venture partner, it has also offered a preview of an "AI mode" for Google One Premium customers.

While Anthropic has highlighted various enterprise applications for the web search feature, such as industry trend analysis and research for grant proposals, the functionality could also serve regular consumers in comparison shopping, according to reports from Venture Beat.

Previously, users needed to employ both traditional search engines and chatbots separately to gather information. However, with the development of integrated web search features, obtaining necessary information has become more streamlined and simple.

Despite these advancements, some industry experts, like those at Android Headlines, have raised concerns about the rapid evolution of AI technologies. Initially, OpenAI created its ChatGPT web search to compete with Google Search; subsequently, Google responded by developing its own AI model to rival ChatGPT. Now, Anthropic has entered the fray with its web search feature to compete with both giants. This competition could potentially diminish traffic to conventional web results, as AI tools increasingly draw users' attention away from traditional websites. A recent study indicated that AI search engines generate 96% less traffic to news sites compared to Google Search, likely because AI-generated responses often utilize links merely as citations rather than as gateways for users to investigate further.

Anthropic, Claude, search