Microsoft is embracing the power of AI in search engines, following in the footsteps of big tech companies like Google. OpenAI, with strong backing from Microsoft, is taking on Google Search with a new project. Meanwhile, Microsoft is enhancing its own search engine, Bing, by incorporating more AI features to improve user experience.
Bing’s latest update brings AI-generated answers to the forefront of search results, prioritizing them over traditional search results. This new feature utilizes AI technology to analyze top search results and provide a concise summary with the most relevant information for users.
When you conduct a search query on Bing, you may come across detailed summaries that cover various aspects related to your topic of interest. For example, searching for “What is a spaghetti western?” will not only give you a brief history and origins of the genre but also provide related videos, a chart showcasing top films, and details about the music associated with it.
Microsoft has offered a sneak peek at this new search experience, which includes source listings under each section and neatly organized clickable links on the right side of the screen.
The foundation of Bing’s search results is now combined with large and small language models (LLMs and SLMs) to deliver more effective search results. By understanding the search query, reviewing millions of sources of information, dynamically matching content, and generating AI-generated layouts, Bing aims to fulfill user intent more efficiently.
This enhanced search experience is being rolled out gradually by Microsoft to gather feedback and refine before a wider release. Similar to Google’s AI Overviews introduced in May in the US, Bing’s new layout focuses on AI-generated summaries to improve user experience.
While Google faced some challenges with inaccurate answers initially with AI Overviews, Microsoft is working on ensuring Bing’s version avoids such pitfalls. As more users interact with this feature over time, we will see how it evolves and enhances the overall search experience for users.
