Microsoft Begins Rolling Out ChatGPT Powered Bing To Early Testers

There is no denying that Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been making significant strides in recent years. In fact, there is enough evidence to suggest that computers are getting better at natural language processing and machine learning with each successive generation. However, the thought of an AI-based tool finding its way into mainstream usage as soon as 2023 was far-fetched for even the most ardent AI enthusiasts. Thanks to recent developments in the field of generative AI, many of these people are now being forced to think otherwise.

The newfound global interest in AI could be attributed to the immense popularity of ChatGPT — a chatbot released by Microsoft-backed AI-focused research lab OpenAI late last year. Before the hype over ChatGPT and its capabilities died down, Microsoft made a surprise announcement and confirmed that it would integrate ChatGPT into its search engine Bing and also make the AI tool a part of its web browser — Edge in the near future. This announcement resulted in a near-immediate response from Google, resulting in the announcement of Bard — a chatbot of its own. Google was also forced to hold another event to highlight all the AI-focused advances earmarked for its Maps, Search, and Translate apps.

While Google has only begun internally testing Bard with a public launch possibly months away, Microsoft seems to be a step ahead of its archrival. According to a new report by Windows Latest, Microsoft has already commenced the process of rolling out the ChatGPT-enhanced version of Bing to a group of early testers.

According to the report, the Bing homepage, which has not seen many design changes in the recent past, has been completely redesigned when users switch to the ChatGPT-enhanced version. While users still see the usual "Ask me anything" search bar on the page, its position is now slightly lower down on the page. Note that search queries made in this search box still show up like the existing Bing result page. To access the ChatGPT-powered features, users will need to click on the "Chat" tab located on the top left side, right next to the "Microsoft Bing" logo and "search" options.

To generate AI-powered smart search results, users will need to type in their queries into the chat box. While the feature should technically generate responses the same way as ChatGPT currently does, the folks at Windows Latest noted a handful of "limitations" on the ChatGPT-powered iteration of Bing. The tool, for example, rejected a request to write a cover letter to apply for a position at Microsoft, citing that it would be unethical for it to do so. The tool also denied several requests to review a cover letter authored by another person. The early testers also noted that the AI took a reasonable amount of time to generate some results, with some answers taking as long as 30 seconds to appear.

It is unclear how long it would take for Microsoft to roll out this version of Bing to a broader user base. If you are interested in getting a sneak peek of the new AI-powered search engine from Microsoft, sign up for it here.