Microsoft today announced the next generation of AI Bing and Edge, aimed at transforming the search industry by greatly expanding its vision and capabilities.
Bing has already amassed over 100 million daily active users in just three months since its launch. Additionally, the number of daily installations for the Bing mobile app has skyrocketed, quadrupling during this period.
The new AI-powered Bing aims to tackle the issue of nearly half of all web searches going unanswered and provides a more conversational search experience by combining powerful large language models like OpenAI’s GPT-4 with Microsoft’s immense search index.
Entering the Next Generation of AI-Powered Search
Microsoft is moving Bing to Open Preview, eliminating the waitlist for trial, and introducing more visual and interactive features like rich image/video answers and multimodal support.
Bing is also evolving from a product to a platform. It opens up its capabilities for developers and third parties to build on top of Bing, helping users take actions on their queries and complete tasks more efficiently.
Responsible AI and Public Concerns
As AI advances rapidly, concerns about privacy violations, bias, and the potential spread of scams and misinformation have grown.
Microsoft emphasises that responsible AI is central to every new experience they build with Bing and Edge.
In partnership with OpenAI, Microsoft has implemented safeguards to defend against harmful content, addressing issues such as misinformation, disinformation, content blocking, data safety, and preventing harmful or discriminatory content in line with their AI principles.
White House AI Meeting with Tech CEOs
In response to these concerns, the chief executives of Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, and Anthropic have been called to meet with Vice President Kamala Harris and top administration officials to discuss key AI issues.
The safety of their products is a responsibility that tech companies must prioritise before introducing them to the public, emphasised President Joe Biden.
The administration also seeks public comments on proposed accountability measures for AI systems, addressing concerns over AI’s impact on national security and education.
During a recent TV interview, Elon Musk expressed concerns about the risks associated with AI, stating, “I think we should be cautious with AI, and I think there should be some government oversight because it is a danger to the public.”
As AI-powered search continues to evolve, it remains crucial for tech companies, governments, and users to work together in ensuring responsible AI development and usage, balancing the benefits of innovation with the potential risks to society.
