Microsoft Unveils AI-Powered Bing to Challenge Google Search
Microsoft launches a new version of Bing powered by OpenAI's latest GPT model, blending traditional search results with advanced AI chat features. The updated search engine currently requires users to join a waitlist for access.
Microsoft launches the new Bing search engine, powered by a next-generation OpenAI GPT model and Microsoft's own Prometheus model. This release allows Microsoft to leap ahead of Google in bringing AI-powered search experiences to mainstream users, though a waitlist currently gates access to the new features. The company plans to roll out the experience to millions of users in the coming weeks through its Edge browser on both Mac and Windows.
The updated Bing features a larger query prompt that encourages users to ask open-ended questions rather than just typing keywords. Microsoft strikes a balance between traditional link-centric search results and new AI features, often placing AI-generated answers at the top of the page for factual queries. For more complex answers, the search engine presents the information in a sidebar and suggests related chat queries that expand into a full conversational interface.
Despite the impressive upgrades, the new AI experience remains somewhat inconsistent in its appearance. Users may find that Bing occasionally forgets to invoke the new AI features for certain queries, even for topics the company specifically highlights in its demonstrations. Because this unpredictable behavior makes it hard to know when the AI sidebar will appear, users quickly come to expect the enhanced experience on every single search.