With the help of ChatGPT, OpenAI’s artificial intelligence, Microsoft hopes to revolutionize web search. Integrated into Bing, the chatbot completely transforms the way we search for information on the web… at the risk of making Google old-fashioned?
After weeks of leaks, Microsoft has finally lifted the lid on the new version of Bing. The search engine embeds an unprecedented iteration of ChatGPT, OpenAI’s chatbot. To manage Internet searches, Microsoft explains that it has developed its own version of AI based on ChatGPT technology, called “Prometheus”. This model is more powerful and efficient than the initial chatbot.
“AI will fundamentally change every category of software, starting with the biggest category of all – research”predicts Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft.
The official website suggests that Microsoft has supported on GPT-3.5, the language model behind the current version of ChatGPT, to build Prometheus. Contrary to rumors, the firm has not yet obtained access to GPT-4, still in development at OpenAI.
Anyway, this new ChatGPT differs above all from the standard version thanks to internet access. The intelligent chatbot is able to dig into online data to respond to users. For its part, the AI accessible on the OpenAI website is content with a previous database in 2021.
Read also: why this series written with the AI ChatGPT caused a scandal
A revolution for online research?
The chatbot is available througha new tab, titled Conversation, in the Bing interface. Via this category, the Internet user can carry out searches more naturally than by typing a succession of keywords. All you have to do is address the chatbot by speaking to it as a human being. The addition of ChatGPT makes it easier to find information online, especially for Internet users who have not yet understood how keywords work.
“Get answers instead of being overloaded with options. Bing examines web search results and summarizes the answers to your specific questions and needs »explains Microsoft on the Bing homepage.
Instead of displaying a directory of links, the new Bing answers users’ questions directly summarizing the data from reliable web sources. It is possible to ask the chatbot for clarification if the answer is not enough. Clearly, ChatGPT chews up the research work that is always incumbent on Internet users.
Unsurprisingly, the ChatGPT included in Bing don’t stop looking online. He is able to organize a dinner, plan an outing, give ideas, write a poem or an essay, code, or find an upcoming event nearby. In short, all the possibilities already offered by ChatGPT are back.
According to Microsoft, many Internet users are already trying to accomplish these tasks through a traditional search engine. However, current engines like Google are not designed for more complex tasks… unlike the new Bing.
Thanks to AI, Microsoft also hopes to give a facelift to its Web browser, edge. Included in the interface, the chatbot will be able to annotate PDF documents, summarize them, add information from the Internet, compare content or provide translations.
For now, the Bing chatbot is only available on a waiting list. Microsoft hopes to release a stable version of the search engine by the end of the month. In the process, the new Edge should be available for download.
A threat to King Google?
Asked by The Verge on the sidelines of the presentation, Satya Nadella did not hide his enthusiasm and believes that artificial intelligence will inevitably disrupt the online search market. Between the lines, the leader evokes the possibility of competing with Google, the number one search engine:
“Today was the day we brought a little more competition to search. We are there, believe me, I have been there for twenty years and I have been waiting for it”.
Aware of the threat, Google has already announced its counterattack. The Mountain giant has lifted the veil on Bard, a chatbot intended to be integrated into its search engine. According to data retrieved by Statista, Google accounts for 84% of the online search market. For its part, Bing is content with 9% market share, despite rising popularity.
From a purely economic point of view, Microsoft does not need to put an end to Google’s hegemony. By squeezing in just a few extra percent, Microsoft could generate billions of dollars every year. During a call with investors, Microsoft’s chief financial officer, Amy Hood, also recalled that each percentage earned by Bing is likely to generate two billion dollars in additional turnover.
In this context, it is not surprising that the Redmond giant has invested billions of dollars in OpenAI since 2019. With a massive investment spread over several years, Microsoft also plans to add ChatGPT to several other flagship products, of which Word, Outlook or PowerPoint. Note that the chatbot has already been integrated into Teams through a paid subscription… offering a clear overview of Microsoft’s strategy: to include ChatGPT absolutely everywhere.
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