Microsoft Takes on Google with AI-Powered Search that's More Powerful than ChatGPT
Microsoft & OpenAI team up to take on Google
The Gist
Microsoft has integrated OpenAI’s GPT-4 model into Bing, providing a ChatGPT-like experience within the search engine.
The new version of Microsoft's Edge browser features the new AI features built into the sidebar.
The new Bing can start a chat in its toolbar, which provides a conversational experience.
Nadella believes that this technology will reshape software categories and the web, with every computer interaction in the future mediated through an agent, starting with search.
Microsoft stressed that it is using a new version of GPT that is more relevant, annotates answers, and provides a safer user experience, calling it the Prometheus model.
Microsoft and OpenAI have a close relationship, and Microsoft recently announced that it would invest even more in the partnership.
Bing will monetize its capabilities through ads, including for some queries about shopping.
Unlike Google, Microsoft is likely willing to forgo some revenue to take market share from Google.
One area that these systems are geared toward is voice assistants.
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Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella, declared that "It’s a new day for search".
Despite 13 years of effort, Microsoft has failed to get people to use Bing, as their market share is a meager single-digits. But now, the company is taking on Google with its integration of OpenAI’s GPT-4 model into Bing. At a press event in Redmond, Washington, Microsoft announced that it is launching a ChatGPT-like experience within its search engine.
The new version of Microsoft Edge browser features these AI-powered features in the sidebar, and is now available. However, the full experience is still limited and requires a waitlist.
The new Bing allows users to initiate a chat in its toolbar, leading to a conversational experience similar to OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Microsoft's version is more up-to-date, as it handles queries about more recent events, compared to ChatGPT, which was trained on data only until 2021.
ChatGPT runs on OpenAI’s GPT-3, while Microsoft will use GPT-4.
Satya Nadella emphasized that Microsoft wants to stay true to its AI Principles and be aware of the potential negative consequences of any new technology. He believes this technology will transform "pretty much every software category" and emphasized that technology like this has the potential to revolutionize the web. In Nadella's vision, every computer interaction in the future will be mediated through an agent, starting with search.
Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft’s Corporate Vice President of Modern Life, Search, and Devices noted that current search engines still work well for navigational and informational queries, but they fail for more complex queries, which make up half of today's searches.
Bing's GPT-based results will appear in a box on the right side of the search results page for fact-based searches. For more vague questions without exact answers, Bing will offer a more ChatGPT-like experience and occasionally prompt users with its own questions and suggest potential answers. Microsoft's model is more up-to-date, including pricing data and the ability to use recent data for travel tips and itineraries, and can even write emails to share itineraries with family.
Bing also cites its sources and links to them in a "learn more" section at the end of its answers and includes a feedback option. The original link-centric version of Bing still exists, now enhanced with AI.
Microsoft calls its new version of GPT, the Prometheus model, which provides more relevant answers, annotates them, and offers a safer user experience. Microsoft is taking OpenAI's models and wrapping Prometheus and other Bing technologies around it.
Microsoft and OpenAI have a close partnership, which led to this announcement after Microsoft invested even more into OpenAI. Bing has always been a competent search engine, but it never gained mainstream traction. However, ChatGPT may change that until Google rolls out its own competitor.
In fact, today’s announcement could be why Google announced their ChatGPT competitor named Bard earlier this week.
For now, there are no ads attached to the chat feature in the new Bing, but Microsoft plans to monetize these capabilities through ads. Some queries, including shopping, will show ads. Unlike Google, Microsoft does not have a massive advertising empire to protect, making it willing to forgo some revenue in an effort to take market share from Google.
Google has not offered many details on how it will work or integrate Bard into their search experience. Currently, Bard is only available to a select group of trusted testers.