Microsoft declares war on Google with Open AI

Google has dominated internet search for years and is synonymous with it for many people. Microsoft never managed to become a serious competitor with its search engine Bing. According to the market research group Statcounter, Google’s market share in Internet searches was just under 93 percent globally, while Bing only had 3 percent.

In the hope that artificial intelligence (AI) will bring the breakthrough, Microsoft is now making a new attempt, and the partner Open AI should help with this, which has been using its AI language model for weeks ChatGPT causes a sensation. At its headquarters near Seattle, the software company presented a new version of its search engine, which works with a variant of ChatGPT. Microsoft says this technology is even more powerful than ChatGPT and tailored specifically for Internet searches.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said at the event that AI technology will transform almost every software category, and he spoke of a “new day for internet search”. Similarly epochal tones struck Sam Altman, the CEO of Open AI, who conjured up the “beginning of a new era”. It was Altman’s biggest appearance since the release of ChatGPT in late November.

Microsoft described current search engines as outdated and inadequate, also known as a dig at Google could be understood. In principle, search and the user experience have not changed for many years, and it is estimated that more than half of the ten billion search queries per day remain unanswered.

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According to Microsoft, the new Bing version is now “an AI-powered co-pilot for the Internet”. AI will be used in a variety of ways. On the one hand, in addition to traditional results, search queries should also have separate answers from the language model. For example, when asked how to replace eggs in a cake with other ingredients. Then Bing would directly display detailed instructions without users having to go through a series of different search results first.

On the other hand, there is an interactive chat function that is intended for more complex inquiries. For example, according to certain travel routes or whether a certain piece of furniture would fit in a certain model of car for transport.

The new Bing search engine is available immediately, but only as a “limited preview”, which means that users can only make a limited number of searches for the time being. For the complete variant you can be entered on a waiting list. Initially, the new search engine will only be available on personal computers, but a version for mobile devices is in preparation.

Microsoft also introduced a new version of its Internet browser Edge equipped with AI functions. There is a separate window from which users can, for example, summarize financial reports or have entries posted on the LinkedIn careers network.

Microsoft forged its alliance with Open AI back in 2019, which included a $1 billion stake at the time. Just a few weeks ago, the company announced another billion-euro investment. Microsoft has said it wants to integrate Open AI software across its entire product range, which includes offerings for both consumers and businesses.