Microsoft announced on Tuesday a revamp of its Bing search engine and Edge web browser powered by artificial intelligence (AI). The update comes weeks after Microsoft confirmed plans to invest billions in OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT.
With these updates, Bing will not only provide a list of search results, but it will also answer questions, chat with users, and generate content in response to user queries. These updates come as multiple tech giants are now competing to deploy similar AI chatbot tools to change the way we search for information online.
Bing's Partnership with OpenAI
In partnership with OpenAI, Bing will run on a more powerful large language model than the one that underpins ChatGPT. These models are trained on vast troves of online data to generate responses to user prompts and queries. According to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, "It's a new paradigm for search and rapid innovation is going to come."
Related: Google Unveils Its ChatGPT Rival
The public can expect to try the updated Bing on Tuesday for limited queries, with full access rolling out to millions of users in the coming weeks. Microsoft also hopes to implement these tools into other web browsers in the future. OpenAI's CEO, Sam Altman, said the company's goal is "to make the benefits of AI to as many people as possible."
The New Bing: A Better Search Experience
With the new Bing, users can search for information in a more interactive and personal way. For example, a user could search for TVs to buy, then click to the chat section and ask Bing for additional information. The tool could also create a vacation itinerary and generate an email for the user to send.
When the tool generates written answers, it will provide references and links to the original source. The updated Microsoft Edge browser will have the Bing capabilities built-in, allowing users to chat with the search tool on the side of a web page and ask questions.
The Future of Online Search
The immense attention on ChatGPT has reportedly prompted Google's management to announce plans to roll out its own AI tool similar to ChatGPT in the coming weeks. Many have speculated that the AI technology behind ChatGPT could cause a massive shake-up in the online search industry, and the updated Bing is expected to bring new and innovative capabilities to the market.
Source: CNN
Technomancer is a science and tech enthusiast who enjoys writing about software and AI and other tech topics.
