Microsoft's big AI announcement means Bing could replace Google as the top search app

Microsoft’s big AI announcement means Bing could replace Google as the top search app

Hey Google, do you hear that noise? BING. You’re about to lose search market share and it’s going to cost you billions of dollars in revenue. BING. According Reuters, Microsoft announced tonight that it is integrating its Bing search engine and Edge web browser with the AI superstar everyone is talking about, ChatGPT. Microsoft is investing billions in OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, so it makes sense that Microsoft’s search engine and web browser would be the first to add the conversational AI experience to its mobile apps.

Bing can generate $2 billion in ad revenue for every percentage point of ‘search’ market share it adds

While Bing currently has about 9% of the online search market, Microsoft expects to generate $2 billion in additional ad revenue for every percentage point of market share it adds. For the fourth quarter of 2022, Google Search generated $42.6 billion in revenue, compared to “just” $3.2 billion for Microsoft’s search and news ad revenue. It’s a gap that Microsoft hopes to close and more.

A new AI-powered version of Bing is coming to mobile devices

During a press conference at Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Washington, CEO Satya Nadella said, “This technology is going to reshape just about every category of software.” ChatGPT is available on the Bing website for a limited number of users and will be ready for mobile users via the Bing app in the coming weeks. But before you get too excited, during the “limited preview phase” only predefined queries will be allowed. At a later date in the future, free-form queries will be answered.

To get the Bing app with ChatGPT integration, you must first click on this link to join a waiting list. You can advance in line by making Microsoft apps the default choice on your PC and scanning a QR code to install the new Bing app on your phone.

Bing will use OpenAI’s most powerful Prometheus model which will use real-time web data from Bing. This means Bing’s chatbot will be able to give answers based on current events rather than posting answers limited to 2021 data. And with ChatGPT, Bing users will be able to get a summary of articles they read, write emails e-mails and translate them to reach more readers. Microsoft warns that ChatGPT, like most AI chatbots, is susceptible to giving incorrect information which it calls hallucination. The company says more user feedback will help reduce hallucinations.

Not all analysts see Microsoft’s decision as important to consumers. Gartner analyst Jason Wong said “Microsoft’s partnership with OpenAI is more relevant to its business customers.” Even so, Wong said Microsoft could also provide “disruptive opportunities” for mainstream companies. The analyst said: “With the exception of games, Microsoft has not been a leader in key consumer technologies, such as search, mobile and social media.”

Microsoft says AI-powered Bing won’t just serve links anymore. Instead, it will give users clear answers in plain language combining answers Bing has found on the web and from its data collection. On the Edge web browser, ChatGPT could be used to help users understand long and complex documents.

Google introduced its own conversational AI platform on Monday

Google threw its hat into the era of conversational AI yesterday announcing Bard. Google CEO Sundar Pichai wrote that AI is “the deepest technology we work on today. AI helps people, businesses, and communities unlock their potential.”

ChatGPT was slated in December to replace Google in a few years. Now, it seems possible that it will happen sooner than expected. The chatbot can “write computer code, create complex essays, decorate your home, come up with a winning marketing idea, and more.” Education professionals are concerned that students are turning to AI chatbots to write essays instead of using their own brains.

Apart from Google Search, Microsoft is also tackling Google Chrome by adding a ChatGPT sidebar to the Microsoft Edge web browser.

There are a few downsides to this technology besides hallucinations. AI chatbots can create racist and unethical content, some content can be unpleasant for humans. And even when he writes about something that is patently untrue, he can convince people to believe the content.

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