At a hastily convened press conference, technology giant Microsoft announced on Wednesday evening that it would integrate the technology behind popular chatbot ChatGPT into search engine Bing. For example, you will be able to ask whether a newly purchased seat can actually be transported in your car.
The new version of the search engine will be able to use recent information, the news and your location, among other things. That is a lot more than ChatGPT has to work with. The chat robot bases the answers on information that has been taken from the internet at the latest at the end of 2021.
The new functions, which we summarize below, can be used in a test version from Tuesday. You can also register for the waiting list. The aim is to give access to millions of users in the coming weeks, according to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.
New search engine
The new version of Google’s biggest competitor will use the same kind of technology as ChatGPT, the chat robot that has proven to be very popular. Microsoft has flown American journalists to its headquarters. There they were told that OpenAI, which developed ChatGPT, has built a computer model that should work better for searches. According to Microsoft, this is more powerful than ChatGPT.
Users will be able to formulate a question up to 1,000 characters long in the search bar of the new Bing. Bing will then formulate an answer in a continuous text, including links to websites. For example, you could ask the search engine whether a certain IKEA seat fits in your car. The software will then look up dimensions and try to formulate an answer.
Chat window
You will also be able to open a chat window in Bing, which is very similar to what ChatGPT does now. The links to websites will then be displayed less prominently.
The question is whether this kind of technology can be copyrighted. A similar, less advanced feature in Google that shows parts of articles in the search box is controversial. It ensures that users do not have to click on links.
The people who wrote the texts on which Google relies lose income as a result. What Microsoft is proposing goes one step further.
Integration in web browser Edge
The new version of Bing with artificial intelligence (AI) will also get a button in a new version of the Edge web browser. It is included as standard on Windows computers and is one of the bigger competitors for Google Chrome.
The chat window will be opened in Edge via the button. From there you can ask Bing to help you, for example, with summarizing information in a PDF file or writing a post for a social network.
Google vs Microsoft
On Tuesday evening, it was no coincidence that Google published a blog post containing the news that the technology giant will launch chat robot ‘Bard’. It will first be tested in a limited circle, but will be available to the general public in the coming weeks.
The brain behind ChatGPT also spoke during Microsoft’s press conference. Check out a portrait of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman below.
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