What is Bing Chat: the AI-powered Microsoft search engine

We haven't heard about Bing for quite some time, and now it's triumphally returning to the market thanks to the incorporation of the AI-powered ChatGPT into its search engine. In this article, you'll find out everything you need to know about Bing, Bing Chat, its history, how to use it, how it works, and what AI has to do with it. Read on!

What is Bing?

Bing, Microsoft's search engine, existed since 1998 but was called MSN Search, then Windows Live Search, then Live Search, and finally got a rebranding as Bing in 2009. Bing, as we know it today, launched almost a decade after Google and was quite popular then. Although Google completely outshined it, we almost forgot about Bing for many years. For instance, in 2022, Google had 93% of the global market share, while Bing had only 3%, according to StatCounter. This year, Google introduced its AI-powered Bard into its Search, and Microsoft launched the new Bing search engine powered by the upgraded AI-powered ChatGPT from OpenAI. This new addition gave Bing a much-awaited rebirth. 

"AI will fundamentally change every software category, starting with the largest category of all – search. Today, we're launching Bing and Edge powered by AI copilot and chat to help people get more from search and the web. The race starts today, and we're going to move and move fast. Most importantly, we want to have a lot of fun innovating again in search because it's high time," said Satya Nadella, Microsoft Chairman and CEO. 

As it is announced on the Microsoft official website, "there are 10 billion search queries a day, but we estimate half of them go unanswered. That's because people are using search to do things it wasn't originally designed to do. It's great for finding a website, but for more complex questions or tasks too often it falls short", and that's why Bing and Microsoft Edge have received innovative AI-powered assistants incorporated into them.

How does Bing work?

The new Bing search engine works based on a next-generation OpenAI large language model, in other words, the upgraded ChatGPT, specifically created for search. According to Microsoft, these AI models are applied to the search algorithm, making the search queries more accurate. 

Thanks to the incorporated AI power, Bing reviews search results from across the web and summarizes them, so you get what you are looking for without multiple and sometimes overwhelming answers. A simple and quick example Microsoft shared is that "you can get detailed instructions for how to substitute eggs for another ingredient in a cake you are baking right at that moment, without scrolling through multiple results."

What are Bing features?

• Deep search: Bing now provides a more profound search experience giving you more relevant and comprehensive results thanks to the incorporated AI power.
• Detailed answers: You no longer need to scroll and browse multiple results. Bing gives you analyzed and comprehensive answers to your queries. 
• Chat: Microsoft introduced a new chatbot experience into Bing. You can use an interactive chat for complex searches, such as travel itineraries and train tickets, or if you need to buy a new cell phone and don't know which one to pick. Bing chatbot will analyze your requests, ask you for more details, and provide optimal solutions, so you can save time without comparing multiple offers. 
• AI-powered assistant: Since Bing now has an upgraded ChatGPT tool incorporated, it can help you with other tasks, such as generating content: writing emails, and creating quizzes and itineraries. Another amazing thing about the new Bing is that it cites its sources, so you can easily click on links and read the full report. 
• Microsoft Edge: Microsoft Edge web browser working on the Bing search engine also got an AI update. It now has two new AI-powered options: Chat and Compose. You can use them to write an email or create content. So, it's best to use Bing and Edge together to make the most of their features. 

How to change your default search engine to Bing?

• On your web browser, go to Menu > Settings.
• Navigate to Advanced Settings and select Bing under Search Engine.

Is Bing better than Google?

For decades Google was outrunning Bing thanks to its accuracy, customizable search, and speed. No wonder we say "google it" and not "bing it." However, thanks to AI being incorporated into Bing, it is likely to be the top search engine while we wait until Google fully introduces its AI-assistant Bard into its search. Without it, both search engines are good and trustworthy, although Google has more customizable options for advanced search than Bing.

How do I access the new Bing search engine?

The new Bing is already available at www.bing.com in a limited preview for desktop, so you can try some queries and sign up for the waitlist. Soon, the new Bing search engine will be available full-scale. In the meantime, Bing works as a regular and reliable search engine. 

Can Bing provide wrong answers?

Bing search engine provides answers based on multiple reliable sources that its incorporated AI analyzes. However, it can make mistakes since there is a lot of misinformation online. That's why, even in the modern world with all the innovations, it's best to make your own judgment and check the facts, even though AI facilitates our lives big time. 

What is Bing Chat?

Microsoft is continuing to enhance its chatbot Bing Chat which is capable of analyzing the images within the prompts - and of chatting verbally. Until now, it could only be used via the Edge browser: it is also accessible via Windows 11, the SwiftKey mobile keyboard, and the mobile application on Android and iOS. Initially reserved for Edge, Microsoft's chatbot based on ChatGPT is gradually being deployed on Chrome and Safari, albeit with some limitations.

As reported by Windows, Microsoft's chatbot is now available to some users on Chrome and Safari. All you have to do is go to bing.com and click on the 'Chat' icon in the top left-hand corner of the screen to start the conversation. As the roll-out is currently underway, it's possible that browsers will still point to Edge. While dark mode has made its appearance, there are a few restrictions compared to the Edge version. For example, the character limit per message is 2,000 on Chrome, compared with 4,000 on Microsoft's browser. Similarly, conversations are reset after five messages on Chrome, compared with thirty on Edge. Just the thing to lure users over to Edge!