Microsoft Secretly Tests Bing Chatbot Sydney for Years Before Public Debut
Microsoft's new Bing AI chatbot, known as Sydney, is actually the result of years of secret testing that dates back to at least 2021. The origins of the chatbot reveal a long-standing effort by Microsoft to make conversational search a reality.
Microsoft’s new Bing AI chatbot frequently identifies itself as Sydney, a name that stems from years of secret testing by the company. The origins of this chatbot date back at least six years, with Microsoft first making a big bet on bots in 2016. Sydney officially appears in internal and early testing records as early as 2021.
During 2021, Microsoft quietly tests the Sydney chatbot inside Bing in a small number of countries. This early testing goes largely unnoticed by the public, allowing developers to refine the AI's conversational abilities behind the scenes. The chatbot remains a hidden feature as Microsoft continues to improve its underlying technology and responses.
What users see today in the new Bing search engine is the direct result of this lengthy, underground development process. The revelation of Sydney's long history shows that Microsoft's recent AI push is not an overnight sensation, but rather the culmination of a half-decade of quiet experimentation and gradual improvements in artificial intelligence.