ChatGPT has been using Google Search

They say it takes a village to raise an AI.

Many consider OpenAI’s ChatGPT to be an existential threat to Google’s core Search business, as people turn to the chatbot rather than Google. It turns out, OpenAI has been competing with the help of Google.

While Google doesn’t allow OpenAI to directly access its Search data, OpenAI has been using Google Search results scraped from the web by SerpApi (an 8-year-old firm that specializes in that) to power ChatGPT’s answers on things like news, sports, and the stock market, The Information reports. OpenAI has also previously used data from YouTube to train its AI models without Google’s permission.

OpenAI Is Challenging Google—While Using Its Search Data

More Tech

See all Tech

Jon Keegan4h

Musk: Tesla’s Austin Robotaxi fleet to “roughly double” next month, but falls well short of earlier goals

Yesterday, Elon Musk jumped onto a frustrated user’s post on X, who was complaining that they were unable to book a Robotaxi ride in Austin. Musk aimed to reassure the would-be customer that the company was expanding service in the city:

“The Tesla Robotaxi fleet in Austin should roughly double next month,” wrote Musk.

While that sounds impressive, there are reports that Austin only has 29 Robotaxis in service.

But last month, Musk said the Robotaxi goal was to have “probably 500 or more in the greater Austin area,” by the end of the year.

Meanwhile, Google’s Waymo has more than 100 autonomous taxis running in Austin, and 1,000 more in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Elon Musk slashes Tesla Robotaxi fleet goal from 500 to ~60 in Austin

“The Tesla Robotaxi fleet in Austin should roughly double next month,” wrote Musk.

While that sounds impressive, there are reports that Austin only has 29 Robotaxis in service.

But last month, Musk said the Robotaxi goal was to have “probably 500 or more in the greater Austin area,” by the end of the year.

Meanwhile, Google’s Waymo has more than 100 autonomous taxis running in Austin, and 1,000 more in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Jon Keegan8h

Apple to beat Samsung in smartphone shipments for first time in 14 years

Thanks to Apple’s popular iPhone 17, the company is on track to ship more smartphones than rival Samsung for the first time in 14 years, according to a report from CNBC.

Counterpoint Research projects that Apple will ship about 243 million phones to retailers this year, capturing 19.4% of the global market.

Samsung will come in just behind Apple, with 235 million phones shipped, giving it an 18.7% global market share, per the report.

A favorable upgrade cycle, plus an expected lower-cost entry-level iPhone next year, are among the factors expected to keep Apple in the lead for the next few years.

Apple iPhone shipments to beat Samsung for the first time in 14 years, report says

Samsung will come in just behind Apple, with 235 million phones shipped, giving it an 18.7% global market share, per the report.

A favorable upgrade cycle, plus an expected lower-cost entry-level iPhone next year, are among the factors expected to keep Apple in the lead for the next few years.

Jon Keegan8h

OpenAI eyes 220 million paid subscribers by 2030, The Information reports

OpenAI is scrambling to figure out how to generate enough steady revenue to turn the expensive AI services it offers into profits, as it spends dizzying sums on the infrastructure needed to scale its business to the expected demand.

It appears that for now, the company's solution comes straight from the old, reliable Big Tech playbook: turn free users into paying subscribers.

According to The Information, OpenAI is projecting that it can ramp up to about 220 million paid subscribers by 2030.

The company currently has about 800 million users, with 35 million of them paying for Plus or Pro subscriptions, at either $20 or $200 per month, per the report. OpenAI thinks that in five years it will have 8.5% of its projected 2.6 billion weekly active users paying for a Plus plan, or about 220 million people, The Information reports.

That would put ChatGPT in the same league as Spotify (281 million subscribers in September 2025), and Netflix (302 million subscribers in December 2024).

OpenAI Forecasts Nearly as Many ChatGPT Subscribers as Spotify by 2030

According to The Information, OpenAI is projecting that it can ramp up to about 220 million paid subscribers by 2030.

That would put ChatGPT in the same league as Spotify (281 million subscribers in September 2025), and Netflix (302 million subscribers in December 2024).

Rani Molla11/25/25

Bitcoin’s plunge could hurt Tesla’s bottom line

Sometimes bitcoin giveth, but lately it’s been taking away from Tesla.

A new accounting rule that took effect earlier this year requires Tesla to include unrealized gains and losses on its bitcoin holdings in its quarterly results. According to analyst Troy Teslike, Tesla is facing an unrealized loss of more than $300 million in the fourth quarter on its 11,509 bitcoin, thanks to bitcoin’s recent plunge. That would reduce its GAAP earnings per share by about $0.10. If bitcoin plummets further, say to $60,000, that unrealized loss could grow to more than $600 million, with a -$0.19 impact on EPS.

For context, the FactSet analyst consensus for Tesla’s net income in Q4 is penciled in at $1.6 billion with GAAP EPS of $0.37, so additional losses would represent a big earnings headwind. For a company already navigating margin pressure, bitcoin’s volatility adds one more wild card to the mix.

Tom Jones

out of character

11/25/25

Teens are upset that they can’t speak to Character.AI chatbots anymore

The platform has restricted access for those under 18, as concerns around the tech’s impact grow.

Latest Stories

Sherwood Media, LLC produces fresh and unique perspectives on topical financial news and is a fully owned subsidiary of Robinhood Markets, Inc., and any views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of any other Robinhood affiliate, including Robinhood Markets, Inc., Robinhood Financial LLC, Robinhood Securities, LLC, Robinhood Crypto, LLC, or Robinhood Money, LLC.