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Microsoft takes a page out of Google's playbook: AI summaries take center stage in Bing, too

By Tsveta Ermenkova

Published: Jul 26, 2024, 7:37 AM

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Microsoft takes a page out of Google's playbook: AI summaries take center stage in Bing, too

AI is becoming a bigger part of our online experience, and it seems like big tech companies aren’t hitting the brakes anytime soon. OpenAI, which gets huge backing from Microsoft, has just unveiled a new project to take on Google Search. Meanwhile, Microsoft itself is keeping the momentum going by adding even more AI features to its own search engine, Bing.

Microsoft Bing is now serving up AI search results, much like Google's AI Overviews

Bing’s latest search update highlights AI-generated answers, placing them front and center, while traditional search results take a backseat. This new feature leverages AI to sift through the top search results and deliver a concise summary with the most relevant information.

Microsoft has given us a sneak peek at this new search experience, and it is quite detailed. For instance, if you search for “What is a spaghetti western?” Bing will show you an in-depth summary covering not only a detailed blurb on the genre’s history and origins but also related videos, a chart highlighting the top and most influential films, and even info on the music. It packs a lot of information into a single page – maybe even too much.

A sneak peek at Bing’s new search experience. | Image credit – Microsoft

Microsoft includes source listings beneath each section, and all the usual clickable links are neatly organized in a slim column on the right side of the screen.

This new experience combines the foundation of Bing’s search results with the power of large and small language models (LLMs and SLMs). It understands the search query, reviews millions of sources of information, dynamically matches content, and generates search results in a new AI-generated layout to fulfill the intent of the user’s query more effectively.

– Microsoft, July 2024

Microsoft is rolling this out gradually, taking the time to gather feedback, test, and refine the experience before a wider release.

If that all rings a bell, it is because Google introduced a similar feature called AI Overviews in the US back in May. Like Bing’s new layout, AI Overviews puts AI-generated summaries front and center, replacing some of the traditional search results.

However, after its launch, users noted that AI Overviews sometimes gave inaccurate answers, which prompted Google to tweak the feature. So, let’s hope Bing’s version avoids those pitfalls, though only time will tell as more users get their hands on it.

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Tsveta, a passionate technology enthusiast and accomplished playwright, combines her love for mobile technologies and writing to explore and reveal the transformative power of tech. From being an early follower of PhoneArena to relying exclusively on her smartphone for photography, she embraces the immense capabilities of compact devices in our daily lives. With a Journalism degree and an explorative spirit, Tsveta not only provides expert insights into the world of gadgets and smartphones but also shares a unique perspective shaped by her diverse interests in travel, culture, and visual storytelling.