Microsoft Turbocharges Bing Search, Edge Browser with OpenAI’s ChatGPT

Microsoft seeks to change internet search dynamics by embedding OpenAI’s ChatGPT into Bing and its Edge web browser. On Tuesday, Microsoft revealed its new AI-based browser and search engine.

The new Bing and Edge, available in limited preview, promises to render significantly more accurate, complete and usable search results. If it delivers as Microsoft and its strategic partner, OpenAI, claim, it could change how business users and consumers gather information.

“It’s a new day in search; it’s a new paradigm for search,” Microsoft chairman and CEO Satya Nadella (pictured above) proclaimed at a news conference held at the company’s headquarters in Redmond, Washington. “Rapid innovation is going to come in fact of race starts today, in terms of what you can expect, and we’re going to move we’re going to move fast.”

Microsoft corporate VP and consumer CMO Yusuf Mehdi demonstrated the new search engine. Medhi estimated that half of the 10 billion search queries each day don’t render usable answers. Besides rendering better and more complete answers, Medhi demonstrated Bing’s chat interface designed for more complex queries. It allows users to refine their searches with a new interactive chat experience.

Further, the new Edge browser includes new chat and compose tools.

Technical Breakthroughs

Bing accounts for a small percentage of overall web searches. But Microsoft is signaling that the new Bing could mount the first credible challenge to Google, thanks to ChatGPT. Medhi attributed that to four technical breakthroughs:

• A new OpenAI model with a new large language model that is purportedly faster and more powerful than the current ChatGPT and ChatGPT 3.5 models.
• Prometheus, a collection of methods of using OpenAI model designed to provide more relevant results.
• A core search index that applies the AI model to Bing’s search ranking engine, which he claims provides the most significant increase in relevance in two decades.
• Chat added to the user interface.

Medhi said Microsoft has made steady improvements to its Bing search algorithm for years, which he said independent judges have validated.

“It shows that our search experience is on par or better than any search experience when you take away the brands,” he said. “But a few weeks ago, something special happened. We applied the AI model to our core search ranking engine. And we saw the largest jump and relevance in two decades. And we believe we can continue to drive breakthroughs as we have proven the models.”

Anyone can immediately test sample queries with a preview of the new Bing search engine for desktops and sign up for a waitlist for access to the complete search engine. Microsoft plans to scale the preview to millions of users within weeks. Medhi said Microsoft is readying the preview of a mobile version.