In its latest move, Microsoft is introducing a range of visual features to its Bing Chat AI chatbot, expanding its capabilities to mobile platforms. The tech giant aims to revolutionize search by gradually phasing out the traditional search box and embracing a more conversational approach.
The development of artificial intelligence (AI) has mirrored the evolution of the internet, initially focusing on text-based interactions and gradually incorporating graphics and videos. Bing, Microsoft’s search engine, followed a similar trajectory, initially planning to introduce visual cards, ads, and graphics but scaling back due to user feedback. Microsoft adopted a cautious approach with the creative elements of Bing chatbot, initially emphasizing them, toning them down based on user experiences, and gradually reintroducing them. Now, Bing is poised to embrace a more visual interface once again.
This week, Microsoft has announced its commitment to introducing graphs and topic-based “cards” to Bing’s AI chatbot, as previously promised. Users will have the ability to request and watch videos within the chatbot itself, drawing content from various services. Additionally, Bing will provide Knowledge Cards, offering succinct summaries of information related to specific topics. Furthermore, Edge users will have access to document summaries. However, it is worth noting that these features may be exclusive to Edge and not available on Chrome, where Microsoft has less influence.
While Microsoft’s promised plugins are not yet available, future updates will enable users to make restaurant reservations through OpenTable and perform complex mathematical calculations using Wolfram Alpha. Currently, Bing can recommend restaurants, but it lacks the ability to facilitate the reservation process.
Simultaneously, Microsoft is actively migrating Bing’s chat features to mobile devices. Users can add a Bing widget to their home screens, featuring a convenient microphone icon for voice-based queries. Furthermore, SwiftKey mobile keyboards will incorporate a small “b” icon, allowing users to leverage AI to compose text and even translate content between different languages. The same icon will be visible within the mobile version of Edge, enabling users to seek additional information through Bing Chat.
Significantly, Microsoft is unifying queries and chat history across desktop and mobile platforms. Through these continuous incremental improvements, Microsoft is signaling its determination to recapture users’ attention that has long been dominated by Google. Bing Chat is rapidly evolving to provide an alternative search experience that combines the power of AI with conversational interactions.