Today Microsoft announced the launch of a new Bing search experience for a small number of users. This new search experience is Bing generative search that uses AI and large and small language models (LLMs and SLMs) to provide a search experience.
According to Microsoft, this experience analyzes search queries, examines millions of sources of information, dynamically matches material, and provides search results in a new AI-created layout that better fulfills the user’s query intent.
Microsoft also gave an example of how generative search in Bing creates answers to search questions and here is an example:
if a user searches “What is a spaghetti western?” Bing will display an AI-generated experience that dives into the movie subgenre, including its history and origins, best examples, and more. The information is easy to read and understand, with links and sources that show its origins and allow users to dive deeper. Regular search results continue to be displayed clearly on the page as usual.
More or less, it appears like the image above, with normal search results shown alongside the AI-based generative search results.
Furthermore, Microsoft claims that they have optimized the process using Bing’s generative search to ensure that customers receive the most accurate responses to their requests. According to Microsoft, they have tested this new format to see how it produces traffic for websites, saying that the new Bing generative search function “maintains the number of clicks to websites and supports a healthy web ecosystem.”
This is undoubtedly an upgrade to Microsoft Bing that many people will find handy. However, keep in mind that this new experience is now being gradually given out to a limited fraction of customers.
