TechDigits

Tech news
Friday, Mar 31, 2023

Microsoft unveils new Bing powered by ChatGPT and takes aim at Google in bid to change how we search the web

Microsoft unveils new Bing powered by ChatGPT and takes aim at Google in bid to change how we search the web

The launch of ChatGPT last year appears to have accelerated what tech giants had planned for artificial intelligence, with Google and now Microsoft revealing how search engines will be freshened up by the technology.

Microsoft has revealed a revamped Bing search engine powered by chatbot technology as an AI arms race with rival Google hots up.

The Windows, Office, and Xbox maker is also giving its Edge web browser an update following a multibillion-dollar investment in OpenAI, which took the world by storm last year by releasing ChatGPT.

While Microsoft has long been a giant of the computing industry, it has lagged behind Google when it comes to its search engine and web browser - with Chrome the global favourite.

It hopes its own chatbot - a large language model like ChatGPT, which is trained on a huge amount of text data to generate answers, summarise information and carry out realistic conversations - will give it a boost.

At a launch event for the new AI-powered services, senior Microsoft figures said the search experience had not changed for 20 years, in a dig at its rivals.

Microsoft has suggested the new features could be available to use within weeks.

How will it work?

Microsoft - an early investor in OpenAI - has described its new Bing features as "an AI copilot for the web".

Rather than just returning a list of websites and adverts, results pages will also have a sidebar where a chatbot will provide more detailed answers.
Advertisement

For example, searching for a recipe won't just give you a list of relevant websites - it might also write one for you.

Bing will also seek to review its search results and compile information into a single, digestible answer.

And there will be a very ChatGPT-style chat experience, separate from the main search engine, where you can have back-and-forth conversations about a topic of your choosing.

New Bing has a ChatGPT-style chatbot feature.

Will this really tempt people to use Bing?

That's the million (or multibillion) dollar question, especially given that Google has become so synonymous with searching the web that it has become a verb.

We don't just look it up, and we certainly don't "Bing it", we "Google it".

Microsoft is counting on its belief that its AI tech is the best - it says the new Bing is running on a "next-generation large language model that is more powerful than ChatGPT", which it has dubbed Prometheus.

"This technology is going to reshape pretty much every software category," said Microsoft boss Satya Nadella at the company's headquarters in Redmond, Washington, on Tuesday.

But Google is also looking to harness similar tech in its products, announcing its own conversational AI service named Bard earlier this week.

Mr Nadella appeared bullish, though, declaring: "The race starts today."

The new Bing invites users to 'ask me anything'.


Is AI going to change how we search the web?


Google and Microsoft are certainly betting on that being the case, having seemingly been spooked by the sudden success of ChatGPT when it was released in November - amassing more than 100 million users already.

It quickly had some users predicting the downfall of traditional search engines, as the upstart chatbot threatened to upend how people prepare for job interviews, journalists write stories, and children do homework.

Search engines will look to beat it by staying up to date with current affairs, which ChatGPT cannot do.

The new Bing, for example, will draw on real-time news and updates, and can also provide references for where it's sourcing information from - addressing a criticism of ChatGPT, which sometimes get its facts wrong.

Startup search engines, like Neeva and You.com, are also looking to leverage chatbots to tempt users away from the usual suspects and take a place in the AI arms race.

Neeva's chief executive Sridhar Ramaswamy, formerly Google's advertising tsar, told Sky News last month that he believed "a platform shift" was on the cards.

Can I try the new Bing now?


Microsoft is already rolling out its new-look search engine but you will have to join a waiting list before you can try it.

In the meantime, it has already been implementing ChatGPT into its Teams software to do things like summarise meetings and offer shortcut responses in chats.

Google's Bard is also being rolled out slowly, first to its "trusted users" before a full release in the coming weeks.

The search giant was due to announce more details about its plans for AI at an event in Paris on Wednesday.

Newsletter

Related Articles

TechDigits
Close
0:00
0:00
China and Brazil have signed a new deal that will allow them to trade in their own currencies, bypassing the US dollar as an intermediary
Elon Musk and Others Call for Pause on A.I., Citing ‘Profound Risks to Society’
U.S. charges FTX's Bankman-Fried with paying $40 million bribe
Fallen 'Crypto King' Who Owes Millions to Investors Was Kidnapped and Tortured
Regulators blame social media for SVB's rapid collapse: 'Complete game changer'
AOC explains why she opposes banning TikTok
Gordon Moore, a co-founder of Intel Corporation, died at 94
Donald Trump arrested – Twitter goes wild with doctored pictures
Credit Suisse's Scandalous History Resulted in an Obvious Collapse - It's time for regulators who fail to do their job to be held accountable and serve as an example by being behind bars.
Russian Hackers Preparing New Cyber Assault Against Ukraine
A brief banking situation report
Elon Musk Is Planning To Build A Town In Texas For His Employees
The Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse effect is spreading around the world, affecting startup companies across the globe
Market Chaos as USDC Loses Peg to USD after $3.3 Billion Reserves Held by Silicon Valley Bank Closed.
Banking regulators close SVB, the largest bank failure since the financial crisis
In a major snub to Downing Street's Silicon Valley dreams, UK chip giant Arm has dealt a serious blow to the government's economic strategy by opting for a US listing
It's the question on everyone's lips: could a four-day workweek be the future of employment?
Corruption and Influence Buying Uncovered in International Mainstream Media: Investigation Reveals Growing Disinformation Mercenaries
Being a Tiktoker might be expensive…
China's top tech firms, including Alibaba, Tencent, Baidu, NetEase, and JD.com, are developing their own versions of Open AI's AI-powered chatbot, ChatGPT
This shocking picture, showing how terrible is the results of the earthquake in Turkey
The desk of King Carlos Alberto of Sardinia has many secret compartments
Charlie Munger, calls for a ban on cryptocurrencies in the US, following China's lead
First generation unopened iPhone set to fetch more than $50,000 at auction.
Almost 30% of professionals say they've tried ChatGPT at work
Interpol seeks woman who ran elaborate exam cheating scam in Singapore
What is ChatGPT?
Tesla reported record profits and record revenues for 2022
Microsoft is finalising plans to become the latest technology giant to reduce its workforce during a global economic slowdown
Tesla slashes prices globally by as much as 20 percent
After Failing To Pay Office Rent, Twitter May Sell User Names
FTX fraud investigators are digging deeper into Sam Bankman-Fried's inner circle – and reportedly have ex-engineer Nishad Singh in their sights
TikTok CEO Plans to Meet European Union Regulators
U.S. Moves to Seize Robinhood Shares, Silvergate Accounts Tied to FTX
Coinbase to Pay $100 Million in Settlement With New York Regulator
FTX assets worth $3.5bn held by Bahamas securities regulator
Former FTX CEO Bankman-Fried finally arrested in Bahamas after U.S. files charges
Corruption works: House Financial Services Chair Waters doesn't plan to subpoena her donor, Sam Bankman-Fried, to testify at hearing on FTX collapse
Yellen hints at ‘national security’ probe into Twitter purchase
Elon Musk reinstates Donald Trump's Twitter account.
George W. Bush and Barack Obama will hold back-to-back disinformation conferences
Solar + Powerwall ensures you never lose power, even if the grid goes down
This man paid for strangers' grocery and it moved them to tears
Meta introduces a new version of Mark Zuckerberg
Virtual Reality on billboards: BMW advertisement on Times Square
Apple CEO Tim Cook says coding should be taught as early as elementary school: 'It's the most important language you can learn'
Apple Executive Resigns After Viral TikTok Shows Him Making Crude Jokes
Huawei is not only better technology, but also protecting users better: Apple Warns Of Security Flaw For Iphones, Ipads And Macs
Mark Zuckerberg warns many teams will ‘shrink’ as Meta revenue drops
Elon Musk reportedly begged for forgiveness after his affair with Google co-founder Sergey Brin's wife
×