Microsoft Enhances Visual Features in Bing Chat AI Chatbot, Aiming for More Conversational Search

Microsoft is introducing a series of visual enhancements to its Bing Chat AI chatbot, with a particular focus on mobile devices, as part of its ongoing efforts to make search more conversational. The company aims to gradually phase out the traditional search box and offer users a more cohesive and interactive search experience.

Similar to the evolution of the internet, AI has predominantly been text-based, followed by the inclusion of graphics and video. Microsoft's Bing search engine has followed a similar path, initially planning to incorporate visual cards, ads, and graphics, but scaling them down due to potential user dissatisfaction. The creative aspects of the Bing chatbot also underwent a similar transformation, with Microsoft initially emphasizing them, toning them down after peculiar conversations, and then gradually reintroducing them. Now, Bing is poised to become more visual once again.

In line with their earlier announcement this month, Microsoft is set to introduce graphs and topic-based "cards" to Bing's AI chatbot. Users will be able to request and watch videos directly within the chatbot from various services. Furthermore, users can expect to see summaries of information related to a specific topic through a feature called "Knowledge Card." Additionally, Edge users will have the ability to obtain document summaries, making longer texts more digestible. Notably, some of these features may be exclusive to Edge, where Microsoft holds greater influence, and might not be available on Chrome.

However, Microsoft's promised plugins are not yet available. Once completed, users will be able to ask Bing Chat to make restaurant reservations through OpenTable and solve complex mathematical equations using Wolfram Alpha. Presently, Bing can recommend restaurants but lacks the ability to handle reservations.

Moreover, Microsoft is extending Bing's chat capabilities to mobile devices. Users can add a Bing widget to their home screen, featuring a microphone icon for convenient voice queries. Unfortunately, the "Hey Bing" wake word option is not available. Microsoft is also integrating a small "b" icon into SwiftKey mobile keyboards, allowing users to leverage AI for writing and translating content in foreign languages. The same icon will appear in the mobile version of Edge, enabling users to seek additional information from Bing Chat by selecting a word.

Microsoft is also unifying queries and chat history across desktop and mobile platforms, enhancing the continuity of user interactions. With these incremental improvements, Microsoft is determined to regain user attention that Google has held for decades. Bing Chat is emerging as Microsoft's strategic initiative to rival its competitor, and the company is swiftly advancing to achieve that goal.