Microsoft is now making its generative AI programs, including the new Bing, available to the public. The company said that the new Bing, which has combined OpenAI’s GPT-4 with its search index, is now in “open preview” and no longer has a waitlist. The new AI-powered Bing was launched three months ago and has been engaged with by customers through over half a billion chats and more than 200 million images created using Bing Image Creator. Downloads of the Bing mobile app have also quadrupled since its launch.
Microsoft is working on shifting its tools to the next generation by moving from text-only search and chat to more visual answers, such as charts and graphics, as well as expanding Bing Image Creator and multimodal support. It is also moving from single-use chat and search sessions to multi-session productivity experiences with chat history and persistent chats within Edge.
To enhance user interface and give a more streamlined look, Edge will be getting an update. Microsoft is also opening up platform capabilities to allow developers and third parties to build on top of Bing. According to Yusuf Mehdi, Corporate Vice President of Microsoft, the company is working with its partners at OpenAI to make it easier for developers to take advantage of the opportunities provided by these types of skills. Meanwhile, Microsoft’s teams continue to work on addressing issues related to AI advancements, such as misinformation and disinformation, content blocking, data safety, and the prevention of the promotion of harmful or discriminatory content.
Overall, Microsoft’s expansion of public access to its generative AI programs represents an effort to increase the democratization of AI technology and make it more accessible to all users. By moving towards more visual answers and multi-session productivity experiences, Microsoft aims to provide a more engaging and personalized user experience. As Microsoft continues to invest in its AI capabilities, it is likely that we will see more innovative and accessible AI tools in the near future.