Microsoft no longer maintains a waiting list for access to its Bing AI chat function. The tech giant is further expanding its search capabilities in its battle with rival Google, which is racing to integrate AI into its search engine. Yusuf Mehdi, head of marketing, announced the update in New York. Bing Chat is now out of limited preview mode, so anyone with a Microsoft account can access the chatbot.
The AI version of Bing is based on OpenAI’s advanced GPT-4 large language model (LLM). Microsoft has invested billions in the AI business, securing the ability to integrate OpenAI technology into its services.
New and existing users can now take advantage of a number of new features of the search function. For example, it is now possible to search using images. This feature is ‘multi-modal’, meaning users can tell Bing what they are looking for in multiple ways at once. Microsoft gave TechRadar an example of a picture of a cuddly monkey, with the question of whether the chatbot could come up with instructions on how to knit it. Images can now also appear in search results.
Google is not standing still in this race. It is reportedly rushing to develop a counterpart to Bing AI/ChatGPT via Project Magi. The end result should be a chatbot that can compete with Microsoft’s offerings.
For the first time in more than twenty years, Google is feeling the pressure. Falling behind in this race could have serious consequences for Google. For example, Samsung is said to have already threatened to switch to Microsoft Bing as the default search engine for smartphones.
