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Microsoft Opens Up AI-Backed Bing to All Users
After rolling out the waitlist for its new AI-powered version of the Bing search engine in February, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) is opening up the new feature to all users. The technology company announced that it was reinventing the Bing search engine and Edge browser and was available in preview. The new Bing incorporates OpenAI’s ChatGPT, giving Microsoft an additional chance to compete with Alphabet’s Google.
Referring to the upgrade as an “AI copilot for the web”, Microsoft said the AI-backed tools would be available to all users in the future. Now, the future is here!
Microsoft Says All Users Can Access New AI-Powered Bing
Almost three months since the waitlist was out, Microsoft is getting rid of the waitlist and allowing all users to access the new tools. Anyone interested in using the new Bing must sign into the search engine using the Edge browser. The decision to move on with the controversial products shows Microsoft’s determination despite reported concerns about inaccuracies. While in the preview version, people who tried the new Bing revealed that the service could provide incorrect answers and aggressive replies. Speaking in an interview on Wednesday, the Vice President in charge of AI initiatives at Microsoft, Yusuf Mehdi, said that the company is improving speed and accuracy. The executive added that Microsoft remains committed to “making things better and better”.
Furthermore, Microsoft is offering more features for users to enjoy as it opens up the new AI-powered Bing search and chat. Users can now search for an image with support questions. Mehdi added that the visual search feature will be available in the coming weeks to months. The feature uses OpenAI’s GPT-4 system to blend texts and images.
In addition, Microsoft plans to unveil more Bing features, including using third-party services via Bing chat. The added tool will allow the use of specific services like online restaurant-reservation service company OpenTable and answer engine Wolfram Alpha. The vice president noted that the AI-backed software had accommodated 500 million chat sessions in the last 90 days. Also, Mehdi said that Bing now boasts more than 100 million daily active users, representing a major growth in the past few months. He said:
“Chat really is the thing that is resonating with people and is in fact transforming search.”
As Microsoft is stepping up and including new functionality, its major competitor Google also introduced its Bard AI features. Google CEO Sundar Pichai explained that Bard seeks to improve lives by offering new methods of engaging with information. He added that the technology “draws on information from the web to provide fresh, high-quality responses”.
At press time, Microsoft stock trades up 0.54% to $306.03 in premarket trading. The company has spiked nearly 27% since the beginning of the year.
