Microsoft adds new AI-powered Bing to Windows computers

Microsoft on Tuesday started adding its recently upgraded Bing search engine to its Windows computer software, aiming to put artificial intelligence (AI) at the fingertips of hundreds of millions of people.

The Windows 11 update, Microsoft’s latest in a flurry of product revamps this month, shows how the Redmond, Washington-based software maker is marching ahead on AI notwithstanding recent scrutiny of its technology.

Microsoft’s operating system will include the new Bing in desktop computers’ search box, which helps half a billion monthly users navigate their files and the internet, the company said. The search engine itself is still in a preview mode, accessible to more than 1 million people in 169 countries with a wait list for others, Microsoft said.

The company unveiled its AI-powered chatbot for Bing as it aims to wrest market share from Alphabet’s Google, moving faster with ChatGPT-like software for search.

Microsoft has been gathering feedback on the new Bing before a wider rollout. The engine’s AI chatbot reportedly professed love or made threats to some testers, leading the company to cap long chats it said “provoked” responses it did not intend.

In addition to the new Bing, Microsoft’s Windows update will include software that can connect to iPhone messages and calls starting with a limited set of users, the company said.