The EU designated ChatGPT a Very Large Online Search Engine under the DSA, the first AI chatbot to get one.

The Commission's August 31 designation reasons that a chatbot pulling live results from the internet functions as a search engine in regulatory terms (Euronews). OpenAI reported roughly 159.1 million average monthly EU users, more than triple the 45 million threshold. By end of December 2026 OpenAI must publish a systemic risk assessment covering illegal content, child safety, mental health, fundamental rights and election integrity, fund an annual independent audit, and staff an independent compliance function. The precedent extends to any assistant with live retrieval, which is most of them.