The EU just classified ChatGPT as a search engine

The Story

Brussels designated ChatGPT a Very Large Online Search Engine under the Digital Services Act — the first time an AI chatbot has been treated as a search engine, not just a chatbot. OpenAI, Reddit, and Roblox now have four months to run systemic-risk assessments covering minors, elections, mental health, and illegal content. The Commission called ChatGPT a “hybrid service” because it answers prompts by searching the live web. EC source: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/api/files/document/print/en/ip_26_1772/IP_26_1772_EN.pdf

Why It Matters

Institutions finally had to pick a legal box for a thing that is neither Google nor a person. The weird future is an AI that is regulated like a public square because it *looks up* the world for you.

Evidence

European Commission DSA designation (31 Aug 2026); Euronews, Euractiv, EC press.

Sources

Daily scan: 2026-08-31

• euronews.comhttps://www.euronews.com/next/2026/08/31/eu-places-chatgpt-reddit-and-roblox-under-strictest-digital-safety-rules
• ec.europa.euhttps://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/api/files/document/print/en/ip_26_1772/IP_26_1772_EN.pdf