Bing Chat available to more users, gains more visual answers, chat history and third-party developer capabilities
Microsoft is now rolling out its new Bing Chat to all users who download Microsoft Edge, there is no more waitlist. Over half a billion chats were conducted on Bing Chat since it launched 3-months ago, Yusuf Mehdi, Corporate Vice President, said.
What is new
There are four main points of what is new with Bing Chat:
- Removal of the waitlist for Bing Chat by going from a “Limited Preview” to an “Open Preview”
- Gaining more visual answers for Bing Chat with rich images and videos
- Offering a multi-session experiences with new chat history and persistent chats within the Edge browser
- Exporting and sharing Bing Chats
- Developer access to build third party apps on top of Bing Chat
Let’s dig in a bit more into these changes.
Bing Chat waitlist is gone
Bing has moved from a “Limited Preview” to an “Open Preview,” removing the “waitlist” to access Bing Chat. You still need to use Microsoft’s browser, Edge, and/or the Bing mobile app to access Bing Chat.
You also need to be logged in to your Microsoft account while on Bing Chat within the Edge browser for it to work.
Bing Chat more visual
Bing has updated the answers within Bing Chat to be more visually appealing by improving the formatting and layout, adding more rich images and rich videos, and also by adding charts and graphs when relevant.
Here is a screenshot of the new more visual look for Bing Chat on mobile:
Also, Bing Image Creator is available in all languages, which means over 100 different languages, talk about getting more visual:
Microsoft also redesigned Edge to show chats in a better and more visual format. This includes streamlined look, rounded corners, organized containers and semi-transparent visual elements, the company said. Here is what that looks like:
You will also be able to ask Bing Chat for answers by uploading images as part of your chat. After you upload an image, Bing Chat can search the web for related content.
In addition, Bing Chat in Microsoft Edge has improved summarization capabilities for long documents, both in PDF and HTML formats.
Bing Chat multi-session experiences
Microsoft has been talking about adding chat history for some time now and now Microsoft is rolling it out for Bing Chat. You can use Bing Chat and be able to pick up where you left off, then you can return to previous chats in Bing’s chat history.
There is a “recents” tab on the right side to pickup where you left off. You can also see a “saved” tab for chats you saved for later.
You can even go from the Bing Chat interface into the Edge sidebar interface, so you can browse the web and continue your chat. The screenshot below shows that in action:
Export and share your chats
Microsoft is also adding the ability to export and share your chats from Bing Chat or Edge sidebar. You will be able to share your chats on social media or move them into tools like Microsoft Word, if you so desire.
In this screenshot, you can see the export and share icons at the top right of the chat window:
Third-party developer access
Microsoft said soon, developers will be able to build third-party plug-ins into the Bing chat experience. This is also something Bing hinted was coming weeks ago. In the screen shot below, you can see an example of OpenTable helping you find and book a reservation with a restaurant. This is something OpenAI’s ChatGPT already supports.
Why we care
Watching how Microsoft continues to evolve these AI chat features is exciting. Watching how it may shape the future of a new search experience is even more exciting.
We all know Google I/O is around the corner, and seeing Microsoft and Google go at it with these fast-paced emerging technologies is thrilling.
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