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How to use the new Bing (and how it's different from ChatGPT)
Microsoft's Bing has struggled for years to gain a foothold among search engines. But the company's recent deep dive into artificial intelligence (AI) is breathing new life into search, with its AI-powered Bing Chat feature.
Often referred to as Bing ChatGPT, the new Bing is very different to its more popular competitor. It uses GPT-4 and performs more like an AI-powered search engine in a conversational format, but that's just the begining.
Also: How to use Bing Image Creator (and why it's better than DALL-E 2)
Unlike ChatGPT, the new Bing has internet access, giving it the ability to provide more up-to-date responses. ChatGPT, in turn, is only trained on data up to the year 2021, so it cannot provide answers on current events.
How to use the new Bing
What you need: Getting started with the new Bing requires you to use Microsoft Edge and to log in to a Microsoft account. When you access Microsoft Bing, you can choose whether to use the search or chat formats.
1. Open (or download) Edge and go to Bing
Open the Microsoft Edge web browser to access Bing. If you don't have it, you can download it for Windows, Mac, and Linux here -- it's also available on mobile for Android and iOS.
Once you've got Edge open, go to Bing.com and either click on Chat at the top of the screen or, if available, on Try it or Learn more right below the search bar.
On the Bing website, there will be a "Chat" option on the top left.
2. Log in to your Microsoft account
If you're not logged in to your account, you'll be prompted to do so when you go and try Bing in chat mode. A Microsoft account could be an outlook.com or hotmail.com email address and password, or the login information you use for Microsoft services, such as Office, OneDrive, or Xbox.
You can create an account using any email address, Gmail and Yahoo! included.
3. Choose Chat
From the search options below the search bar, click on Chat to access the new AI-powered Bing Chat.
Any time you perform a Bing search, you can switch to Chat by clicking on it below the search bar.
4. Get to know Bing Chat
Microsoft's AI-powered Bing Chat is a bit different from the most popular AI chatbot at the moment, ChatGPT. While you ask prompts in a similar fashion, the format for the answers and conversation style is different. Here is what you can do while using Bing Chat:
- Text area: The bottom of the screen has a text area where you can enter your prompts for Bing Chat.
- New topic: When you click on New topic, Bing will delete the previous conversation and lightly prompt you to move on to a new one.
- Sources: Bing performs as a conversational AI-powered search engine and, though it does not give you answers in a list format like a search engine would, it does gather most of its responses from the web. When you get an answer to a prompt, Bing will also list any sources in links below the message bubble.
- Suggested follow-up questions: After you get a response from Microsoft Bing, it will generate suggestions for different questions that you can use to follow up. For example, if you ask Bing "what color is the sky?", it may suggest the follow-up questions "is the sky blue on other planets?" or "how does pollution affect the color of the sky?"
- Search or chat: The top left of the screen gives you the option to toggle between traditional search results or the AI chatbot. Simply click on one or the other to switch.
- Conversation style: Bing Chat offers three formats for responses: more creative, more balanced, and more precise. Each one of these formats is self-descriptive: choosing "more creative" will give you responses that are original and imaginative; "more balanced" is similar in tone to ChatGPT, an informative and friendly chat; and "more precise" will render concise and straightforward responses.
- Prompt counter: When Bing responds to a query within a conversation, you'll see a number that helps you keep count of how many responses you've received. There's a limit of 15 responses per conversation.
- Feedback button: When scanning the screen, you'll quickly notice a Feedback button on the bottom right corner of the chat window. This button lets users provide feedback to Microsoft Bing on suggestions or things you like or dislike, with the option to include a screenshot.
- Microsoft account: Your account information is accessible on the top right of the screen.
You can see Bing offers a lot of different options to optimize the conversation.
5. Start writing
At this point, you can begin telling Bing your prompts and questions in the text area on the chat window and hit enter to submit them.
Also: Microsoft officially adds Bing AI chat to SwiftKey keyboard for iOS and Android
It's time to ask Bing anything you'd like to know.
FAQ
How is Bing Chat different from a search engine?
The biggest difference between Bing Chat and other AI chatbots, compared to a search engine, is the conversational tone in the rendering of search results. Intelligently formatting search results into an answer to a specific question makes it easier for anyone who is looking to find out something over the internet.
Also: I tried Bing's AI chatbot, and it solved my biggest problems with ChatGPT
Beyond search engine capabilities, Bing Chat is a fully fledged AI chatbot and can do many of the things others can, like ChatGPT. You can now use Microsoft Bing to generate text, such as an essay or a poem, to write code, or to ask complex questions and hold a conversation with follow-up questions.
Does Bing use ChatGPT?
Bing does not use ChatGPT, but it does use GPT-4 in the formulation of its answers, with the exception of the visual input feature. The new Bing is the only way to use GPT-4 for free at this time and Microsoft claims the integration with the latest language model makes Bing more powerful and accurate than ChatGPT.
Also: Want to experience GPT-4? Just use Bing Chat
Many users prefer one or the other. In my experience, I've noticed Bing Chat can sometimes be a bit slow to respond and can miss some prompts, but that's typically remedied by asking a follow-up question such as, "Did you search for that?". However, I also believe the new version of Bing offers users more control over experience and a more intuitive UI.
The GPT 3.5 version of OpenAI's language model powers ChatGPT. When GPT-4 becomes widely available through an updated version of ChatGPT, it will be through OpenAI's subscription service, ChatGPT Plus, which costs $20 a month.
Is there a Bing image creator?
Microsoft recently announced Bing Image Creator. Microsoft is using DALL-E, an artificially intelligent image generator from OpenAI. This is a tool for Microsoft Edge within Bing, as users are able to give Bing a prompt to create images within an existing chat, as opposed to going to a separate website.
Also: The 5 best AI art generators of 2023
Does Bing Chat give wrong answers?
Just like ChatGPT and other large language models, the new AI-powered Bing Chat is prone to giving out misinformation. Most of the output that new Bing offers as answers are drawn from online sources, and we know we can't believe everything we read on the internet. Similarly, when you use the new Bing in chat mode, it can generate nonsensical answers that are unrelated to the original question.
Is Bing Chat free?
Bing Chat is not only free, it's also the best way to preview GPT-4 for free right now. You can use the new Bing to ask questions, get help with a problem, or seek inspiration, but you are limited to 15 questions per interaction and 150 conversations a day.
Also: The best AI chatbots: ChatGPT and other fun alternatives to try
Are my conversations with Bing Chat saved?
Microsoft defaults to clearing your conversations when you click the New Topic button, so your conversations aren't saved beyond the duration of each chat. However, search history is saved in your account, depending on your settings.
Is there a waitlist for the new Bing?
At the time of this publication, if Edge users log in to their account, they should be able to access Microsoft's new AI-powered Bing right away.
Can you use the new Bing on mobile?
If you have the Edge browser on your mobile device, you can use the new AI-powered Bing search in chat mode, much like you would on your computer. There's also the option of skipping the Edge browser and downloading the Microsoft Bing app from your device's app store. This app provides a straight line to the Bing AI chatbot, with the benefit of not having to access a website when you want to use it.
Also: Your Microsoft apps are getting an AI revamp. Here's what we know
Both the Microsoft Bing app and the Edge browser support voice dictation on mobile, so you can ask your questions without even having to type them in.