After Google unveiled its ChatGPT rival, Bard, to select testers, Microsoft on Tuesday launched a new version of its Bing search engine and Edge browser. The new AI-powered Bing search engine and Edge browser aim to deliver better search, more complete answers, a new chat experience, and the ability to generate content, the company said in its blog. “Today, we’re launching Bing and Edge powered by AI copilot and chat, to help people get more from search and the web,” said Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.
The company brought together search, browsing, and chat into one unified experience one can invoke from anywhere on the Web.
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Bing will be powered by a next-generation OpenAI model. “The next-generation OpenAI large language model that is more powerful than ChatGPT and customized specifically for search. It takes key learnings and advancements from ChatGPT and GPT-3.5 – and it is even faster, more accurate, and more capable,” the company said.
The new Bing experience is a culmination of four technical breakthroughs including the next-generation OpenAI model, Prometheus, applying AI to the core search algorithm, and new user experience.
The new Bing is available in a limited preview on desktop, and users can visit Bing.com to try sample queries and sign up for the waitlist, according to the blog post.
What are the new features of Bing and Edge?
Microsoft executives said the new Bing would change how people find information on the Internet, as per Reuters. The AI-driven search engine would be in a position to provide clear answers in plain language, synthesizing what Bing found on the web including its own data vaults instead of simply showing links to websites. Queries on current events would draw more from live data on the Internet.
Microsoft Consumer Chief Marketing Officer Yusuf Mehdi at the launch demonstrated how the AI-enhanced search engine also could make shopping easier. He explained how Bing could estimate, for instance, whether a certain type of seat could fit in the back of a car by pulling together web data on one's vehicle dimensions and on the shopping product in question.
Bing will answer questions directly and encourage users to be more creative.
During the event, numerous search queries were demonstrated as part of the presentation. A query that sought a comparison of Mexican painters, led to a list of results with AI-generated answers on the right panel with annotated links (much similar to the knowledge panel on Google search results page). The search results page delivered by Bing gave off an impression of a fusion between traditional search results and ChatGPT results, offering users more refined alternatives.
The demonstration also showed the Edge browser's capability to break down information, especially by giving succinct summaries of PDF files. Users can also ask Edge to help them compose LinkedIn posts with a few prompts. The browser can also help users with the tone and length of the posts.
The Edge apparently comes with a new look, a fluid UI, and rounded corners. The chat interface on Bing appears on the right-side panel of the browser which makes it easier to navigate without the need to go to Bing.