Great, Now Bing Will Also Get Generative Search Using AI
When Google’s AI reviews told people to put glue on their pizza earlier this year, the Internet responded with ways to shut down AI reviews and threats to abandon Google search altogether . Unfortunately, AI is about to follow the Google refugees because Bing is about to get its own, even more insightful version of AI reviews.
While Microsoft’s Bing generative search isn’t quite ready yet, it’s about to completely change the look and feel of the Bing home page. While Google’s AI reviews are mostly limited to a small box at the top of the page, Bing’s generative search offers an information box, bullet points, related content, and videos that take up the entire left half of the screen. “Traditional search results,” as Microsoft calls them, will still appear, but in a small sidebar on the right.
Microsoft explains the new layout as an “AI-powered experience,” claiming that if someone searches for “What is a Spaghetti Western,” they’ll see AI-powered boxes that explain “the film’s subgenre, including its history and origins, examples and much more”.
While the source of the information is clearly stated and there’s even a table of contents, it looks like it can be more than a little overwhelming, even though Microsoft promises it will be “easy to read.” It also pays much less attention to articles already posted online and requires users to scroll down multiple times to see more than the 10 or so links. There is currently no information on whether there will be a way to disable Bing Generative Search. or even a release schedule. Microsoft says it is currently “slowly rolling out this feature” and will “take the time” to listen to feedback. More information will be released “in the coming months.” Besides the same potential for misinformation that Google has struggled with , another concern with this type of AI is that it can lower click-through rates or even plagiarize content, which has actually led to legislation being passed in Australia. . Microsoft promises that Bing Generative Search “maintains website clickthrough rates and supports a healthy web ecosystem,” but whether this will be another squat-style fiasco remains to be seen.