Yes but it also hasn't been attacked by ads yet. Google doesn't suck for lack of search results, it sucks because of ads.

Imagine asking chatgpt to tell you about slopes in Colorado, and the first five answers are about how awesome North Face is and how you can order from them. You probably wouldn't use it as much.

Local models are GOOD as well, and easy to use (ollama + open web ui). OpenAI has to perform a huge trick in order to stay relevant.

Does ChatGPT need ads, I feel as though people are willing to pay for the service much more than people are willing to pay for a Google search.

Yes but remember we’re in a tech bubble and the average person still doesn’t know what ChatGPT is.