JAKARTA - Microsoft Corp has started providing users with various artificial intelligence (AI) improvements, including for ChatGPT, Bing search engine, as well as a wide cloud - launch service aimed at narrowing the gap with Alphabet Inc Google.
One of the main changes is the launch of direct search results from Bing to ChatGPT, a viral chatbot from their partner, OpenAI, whose answer was initially limited to information until 2021.
According to the company at the Microsoft Build annual conference, now, ChatGPT can display the results of Bing's web results for paid subscribers and will soon do so for free users,
The company is also expanding plug-in for Bing, using standards adopted by OpenAI and allowing businesses to transact more easily with consumers on its search engine.
For example, one of these tools can help someone who is looking for dinner ideas by providing recommended recipes and ingredients that can then be ordered via Instacart with a single click.
"This is a very basic change in how people use the web," said Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft's Head of Consumer Marketing, in an interview.
When asked if Microsoft could sell ad placements related to plug-in, Mehdi said the company had not yet reached that point, but that "models for how people get customers are changing."
The update to Bing is part of Microsoft's efforts to get a larger share of the US$286 billion (Rp4,230 trillion) estimated market for search ads globally.
Like Microsoft, Google has also recently introduced a generative AI upgrade for its search engine, learning from past data on how to respond to open questions where there is no clear answer on the web.
It is still unclear what consumer preferences are for the updated search engine, as Google has not rolled out its changes widely. However, ChatGPT's direct competitor, a chatbot known as Bard, is already available and includes answers based on Google search results.
When asked if ChatGPT would replace Bing Microsoft now that ChatGPT already includes the latest information from the web, Mehdi said that the programs offer different experiences, but Microsoft will benefit from both, with the appointment of a source at ChatGPT that will direct traffic to Bing.
The new cloud service features include enabling businesses to build plug-in connected to Microsoft 365 Copilot, an AI assistant to the company.
A plug-in could allow a staffer in an easy-to-understand language to ask AI to order a trip or explain legal issues under a vendor contract, Microsoft said. Microsoft aims to allow companies to configure their own AI autopilot more widely.
The company also announced that it will make AI assistants, or autopilots, available as a preview for some users of the widely-spread Windows operating system starting in June. They also announced how they help consumers determine whether the images or videos produced by their AIs are similar to the announcements made by Google.
Microsoft is taking these steps in its efforts to bring a better search experience to users and pursue Google in competition in the search market and artificial intelligence. By including the results of a direct search from Bing to ChatGPT, they are expanding the range of information available to the chatbot.
Additionally, by introducing plug-in to Bing that allows businesses to interact more easily with consumers, Microsoft hopes to attract more companies to use its search engine and increase revenue from search ads.
In the coming months, it will be interesting to see how these changes affect user preferences and how Google will respond with the changes they make to their search engine.
This is an interesting step in the development of search technology and artificial intelligence, which will bring the user search experience to a more sophisticated level and provide users with more options to find the information they are looking for.
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