Microsoft Bing AI Chatbot Finds Early Success as Company Looks to Add Enhancement Features

UTC by Tolu Ajiboye · 3 min read
Microsoft Bing AI Chatbot Finds Early Success as Company Looks to Add Enhancement Features
Photo: Depositphotos

The Microsoft Bing AI chatbot earned the approval of 71% of testers and improved user engagement across more than 150 countries.

According to recent reports from Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT), its artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot proved successful so far in Bing searches. The consumer software and computer electronics giant reported its initial findings a week after testing new AI additions to its Bing search engine. Microsoft reportedly interfaced with users across more than 169 countries for these tests.

According to Microsoft, AI-enabled responses earned the approval of 71% of testers as the chatbot facilitated improved user engagement. In addition, the tech giant also revealed that users deployed the chat-ready Bing beyond specific queries. These searches included those that pertain to more general and broader world discoveries and social entertainment.

The new Microsoft Bing AI chatbot is possible via the company’s integration of ChatGPT-centric tech from OpenAI. Microsoft is an early backer of the ChatGPT creator after sinking $10 billion into the artificial intelligence research laboratory. Since establishing that collaboration, Microsoft has utilized a modified version of OpenAI’s GPT language models. According to the Redmond, Washington-based company, the Bing chat integration should provide fuller and more comprehensive answers with a more conversational theme.

Microsoft Identifies Room for Improvement in Bing AI Chatbot

However, despite the early success of its Bing AI chatbot, Microsoft admits that there is still a lot of room for improvement. For instance, the software giant looks to increase the grounding data required for queries that demand high accuracy, including financial reports. According to Microsoft, increasing the model responsible for rendering answers should translate to more enhanced results generation and overall output.

Another area where Microsoft identified room for improvement is in the chatbot’s handling of lengthier conversations. The computer software behemoth discovered that its chat AI faltered on more extended conversations exceeding 15 questions. As Microsoft put it:

“Bing can become repetitive or be prompted/provoked to give responses that are not necessarily helpful or in line with our designed tone.”

Several researchers posted markedly different online interactions with the AI chatbot during the testing phase. However, some of the technology’s early flaws were once again exposed in its arguing or disputing of certain basic facts. According to Microsoft, the bot’s argumentative tone and undue fact disputation would also help the company better refine the online chatbot. Welcoming all glaring errors from early human interaction as opportunities to finetune its AI initiative further, Microsoft said:

“We know we must build this in the open with the community; this can’t be done solely in the lab.”

Microsoft-Activision Acquisition Deal Takes Hit Following CMA Verdict

In other recent Microsoft news, the tech giant saw its looming acquisition deal with videogame publishing powerhouse Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI) come under threat.

The United Kingdom Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) recently ruled that the deal posed anti-competitive tendencies. According to the CMA, Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision would be harmful to the gaming community in the UK. The CMA also worries that the acquisition will cause a centralization of IP powers. In other words, acquiring the videogame publisher could see Microsoft have sole rights to popular titles such as ‘Call of Duty.’ This will potentially stifle healthy competition.

Artificial Intelligence, Business News, News, Technology News
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