Microsoft recently announced enhancements to its mostly forgotten search engine, Bing, along with its web browser, Edge. Both are being revamped with the latest artificial intelligence (AI) technology from ChatGPT. The move makes sense, considering Microsoft’s billion-dollar investment in OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT. In a surprise, the company also revealed their new language model, which is geared toward improving search performance, is significantly more advanced than ChatGPT (GPT-3). This upgrade aims to give Bing a fresh start and make the search engine industry more competitive.
“This technology is going to reshape pretty much every software category,” Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said. “It’s ‘high time’ innovation was restored to internet search.”
During its announcement, Microsoft explained it’s trying to eliminate the limitations of current search technology. According to the company, billions of search queries go unanswered every day as people use search engines for purposes beyond their original design. Current search engines are excellent tools for answering specific questions, but their limited natural language processing capabilities prevent them from being able to answer more complex queries.
Bing’s New Search Experience
Microsoft calls this new technology the “Prometheus model,” claiming it will deliver “better search, more complete answers, a new chat experience and the ability to generate content.”
The company says it’s leveraging ChatGPT so Bing will be able to understand the context and intent behind every search query. This will no longer be a matter of matching keywords, as Bing will feature a chat function and an expanded search bar with space for up to 1,000 characters. Instead of returning just a list of website links, Bing will provide succinct explanations culled from data found on the internet and from its own repositories. Imagine getting a near-instantaneous answer to a complicated query like this: My birthday is in March. Help me plan an all-inclusive trip to Mexico, flying out of Green Bay.
How has Microsoft Edge Been Updated?
The Edge browser is getting an overhaul to incorporate AI technology and an entirely new interface. The browser’s “AI co-pilot” can help develop social media content, compose emails, and more. Its Sidebar functionality lets users access Microsoft’s intuitive chat interface without leaving the current webpage. The Sidebar also provides an incredibly convenient way to review dense amounts of information. “With the Edge Sidebar, you can ask for a summary of a lengthy financial report to get the key takeaways and then use the chat function to ask for a comparison to a competing company’s financials and automatically put it in a table,” the company said.
Microsoft is also taking steps to enhance the privacy and security of its users. The upgraded search engine will feature a tool that detects and blocks potentially harmful trackers (e.g., cryptomining or fingerprinting trackers). Additionally, users will now have the ability to translate foreign language webpages with ease, thanks to the integration of Skype Translate. In just a few clicks, you can access a seamless translation experience that makes it easier to navigate the web and review information from around the world.
What Does This Mean for Google?
Microsoft’s announcement came just one day after Google said it would be launching its own AI chatbot, Bard. For the past two decades, Google has dominated the search engine market, holding a staggering 93% market share, compared to Bing’s 3% (according to Statcounter, a web analytics service). However, Microsoft’s investment in OpenAI and its integration into Bing has the potential to shake up the search engine landscape and challenge Google’s dominance.
Try the New Bing
The upgraded search engine and Edge browser are available in a limited preview mode at Bing.com. Right now, users are only able to try out sample queries for a sneak peek of what the technology has to offer. There is currently a waitlist to access the complete version.
Stay In the Know
The world of internet search just got a lot more interesting. You can stay informed about the constantly evolving digital landscape with the expert guidance of Baer Performance Marketing’s search engine marketing specialists. Keep up to date by signing up for our weekly newsletter, or join the conversation on social media by following us @baerpm. Empower yourself with the knowledge needed to succeed in the digital world!
