Microsoft vs. Google: New AI-based Bing Search Engine and Browser

Microsoft may have initiated a paradigm shift on Tuesday by releasing new versions of its Bing search engine and Edge web browser—both now powered by artificial intelligence.

The new offerings combine browsing and chat into a unified experience that improves both tasks. For example, when searching, more relevant results are displayed, and some information such as sports scores, stock prices and weather forecasts can be displayed without leaving the search page. For more complex queries Bing can synthesize an answer from many online sources and present a summary response. Search engines can also chat with Bing to refine the search and use it to create content such as travel routes.

The Edge browser now also has AI functions for chatting and creating content. It can summarize lengthy reports, reducing them to key takeaways, or create a LinkedIn post from a few prompts.

Experts even call it a paradigm shift.

AI integration with search allows to get the best of them both, the timeliness of a search index plus the intelligence of a natural language-based chat and summary tool, finally making computers smart, time-saving and efficient.

Analysts suppose AI in Bing could be the tip of a larger Microsoft strategy of integrating AI into a lot of their products — Office, Teams, Azure to help Bing in its long-standing competition with Google.

Google announced this week the testing of an AI conversational service called Bard. Bard is based on Google’s natural language technology, LaMDA whereas Microsoft is using OpenAI technology in its offering.

Experts don’t rule out the fact that the Microsoft search product is going to be substantially better than the Google innovation and people will start switching from Google to Bing.

What’s at risk is not only Google’s search leadership, but its revenue model. Displacing search with an engine that can provide answers without redirecting you somewhere will require the whole search revenue model to be reconsidered.

What Microsoft revealed is impressive, but it needs to be much better than what Google shows up with, commentators say.