Technologies

Microsoft’s AI-Powered Bing Will Challenge Google Search

Microsoft may finally have figured out how to get you to use Bing.

Microsoft on Tuesday unveiled a new version of its Bing search engine that incorporates the technology behind ChatGPT, an AI system for conversational and creative responses that marks the first big chance in years to get ahead of search king Google.

Bing now is an «AI-powered co-pilot for the web,» the tech giant said, delivering search results infused with information from the large language model from Microsoft partner OpenAI. Bing also gets a new chat window that Microsoft said will help deliver shopping lists and advice, travel advice and trivia games. The technology also is built into Microsoft’s Edge browser, able to perform tasks like summarizing PDFs and generating LinkedIn posts.

«All computer interaction is going to be mediated with an agent helping,» Chief Executive Satya Nadella said at a launch event at the company’s headquarters in Redmond, Washington. «We’re going to have this notion of a co-pilot that’s going to be there across every application.»

You can try a preview version of the new «AI powered co-pilot» technology with a limited number of queries at bing.com/new and sign up to get on a waiting list for broader release. In coming weeks, Microsoft plans to offer it to millions of people and add a mobile version.

The technology is a major new development for the search business, which hasn’t changed much over the years. Google has worked to blend more answers into its results, but that pales in comparison to what new AI technology can offer. Chat technology based on large language models — the AI systems trained on huge swaths of text on the internet — offers vastly more complex answers and information.

«Microsoft does have a window now to be a bigger player in the consumer tech space, starting with its chatbot assistant embedded with Bing,» Gartner analyst Jason Wong said.

Google, king of the search engine business, tried to upstage Microsoft by revealing its own AI chatbot, Bard, on Monday. Google invented the «transformer» AI technology key to these large language models, and it’s a serious contender. For one thing, Google, not Bing, is the go-to site for people searching for information today.

But Microsoft appears to be ahead in building the technology directly into its products. And when Bing incorporated the AI information into its search results, «We saw the largest jump in relevance in two decades,» said Yusuf Mehdi, chief consumer marketing officer at Microsoft.

Microsoft will show ads next to the new AI search results, Mehdi said.

As of January, Bing had a 3% share of search engine usage, compared to Google’s 92%, according to analytics firm StatCounter. Search is Google’s top revenue source, since the company places ads next to search results.

Microsoft tries to avoid AI pitfalls

Microsoft is trying to avoid some big potential AI problems. It bills its AI answers as suggestions and starting points, not the final word — thus the term «co-pilot,» not pilot.

For example, When you want to use Microsoft’s new AI tools for a creativity boost, you should treat the AI text as a draft, not the final words you’ll post. The technology uses its own Bing technology to try to find useful and authoritative information sources and to scrub out bad data, including low-value text generated by AIs.

And Bing in some situations shows its sources, for example articles with product recommendations, for better transparency. In comparison, it’s anybody’s guess where ChatGPT gets its advice and answers.

And if you don’t like the results, the Bing interface offers a thumbs down button where you can complain next to a thumbs up button for praise.

Editors’ note: CNET is using an AI engine to create some personal finance explainers that are edited and fact-checked by our editors. For more, see this post.

Technologies

Tubi App Goes Live in ChatGPT to Give You TV and Movie Recommendations

Like the ultra-customized feel of a Tubi rec? The streamer aims to make it even more personalized.

Tubi, the free streaming platform known for its vast library of cult classics and indie movies, has added an app to ChatGPT. You can now use the chatbot to find content recommendations for TV shows and movies on Tubi, the streamer announced on Tuesday.

You may already have your own search strategy when using Tubi, but the addition of the native app within ChatGPT allows you to strike up a conversation and ask for uber-specific, personalized title suggestions. If you see a film or show that captures your interest, you have the option to click «Watch on Tubi» to stream it on a mobile device or the web. In the mood for scary movies about yetis? Use @Tubi for your prompt in the chatbot and request something like, «horror movies with aggressive yetis» and expect to see a selection of titles that fit your wish list.

«Streaming should feel effortless, and as chatbots and AI agents are becoming a common way people navigate the internet, Tubi is expanding its discovery experience to meet viewers in the moment they’re expressing intent in their own words,» Mike Bidgoli, Tubi’s chief of product and technology, said in a statement.

ChatGPT opened its app store this past December. It currently includes apps for Apple Music, Zillow, Spotify and Canva, offering the ability to connect your accounts to search, design or ask for recommendations. Back in 2023, Tubi created its own AI-powered tool called Rabbit AI for mobile users to help audiences find content to watch. The company later shuttered the feature, which used Open AI’s Chat GPT-4. With today’s launch, it’s the first video streaming service to add an app within ChatGPT.

(Disclosure: Ziff Davis, CNET’s parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.)

Technologies

PlayStation Plus Subscribers Can Play Tomb Raider and More All April Long

Subscribers can also explore a Soulslike game that just got a big update.

PlayStation Plus, which is Sony’s version of Xbox Game Pass, offers a large, constantly expanding library of games. Subscribers can choose from the Essential, Extra and Premium tiers, each with unique perks and benefits. Starting at $10 a month, the plans give subscribers access to games and rewards, and each month, all subscribers can play a handful of new games at no additional charge. And some people on Reddit are pretty excited for a few of the games Sony is offering subscribers throughout April.

One user wrote how they are «buzzing» for the remastered Tom Raider games, while another user is willing to replay the Soulslike game Lords of the Fallen. «April fools’ joke? Because they’re actually good,» a third user wrote.

If you’re a PlayStation Plus subscriber, you can play these games now until May 4.

Lords of the Fallen

If you played Elden Ring and thought, «I wish this game had even more grimdark elements to it, like Bloodborne,» Lords of the Fallen might be for you. Choose one of nine classes to play as while you traverse the lands of the living and the dead in order to overthrow the demon god Adyr. You’ll fight all manner of monstrosities along the way, like a colossal humanoid with an arm protruding from its mouth or a giant carrion crow that wears a human skull.

HexWorks, the gaming studio behind Lords of the Fallen, also released a patch for the game on April 3. The patch is intended to make co-op sessions feel more rewarding for hosts and guests, so you and your friends should have even more fun in this game.

Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered

Experience these classic Tomb Raider games from the 90s all over again — or for the first time — with the remastered trilogy. You’ll explore jungles, solve puzzles in the desert and tackle mercenaries and monsters along the way. While you can enjoy the boosted graphics of the remastered edition, you can also enable low-poly mode to experience these games as you would have almost 30 years ago.

Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream

A system called Galaxia has been added to Alfheim Online, allowing players to relive the past. But the system has spun out of control, displacing players throughout time. To set things right, you’ll have to work with friends and foes alike in this co-op raid battle game. But if you want to go solo, you can play story mode as characters from across space and time confront the anomaly in the VR world.

For more on PlayStation Plus, here’s what to know about the service. You can also check out other games on PlayStation Plus and games on Xbox Game Pass.

Technologies

Get Organized for Just $28 With This 6-in-1 Baseus Charging Station Deal

Ditch the cluttered cables and upgrade to this sleek USB power strip while it’s on sale for a record-low price.

For just $28, this six-in-one Baseus charging station can help you keep your desk organized. That’s 20% off and the all-time lowest price we’ve seen for this 120-watt USB power strip. We don’t expect this limited-time deal to last for long, however, so you’ll want to get your order in sooner rather than later.

You can use this charging station for just about all of your devices, including phones, tablets, headphones and laptops. It’s equipped with four USB-C ports and two USB-A ports, so you can charge up to six devices at once. It also boasts a 65-watt single-port output, enough to fully recharge a MacBook Air in less than 2 hours. And at just 323 grams, it’s light enough to take on the go, making it a great buy for frequent travelers.

Why this deal matters

This sleek Baseus charging station can connect to up to six devices at once, and is still small enough that you can take it on the go. Plus, this is the all-time lowest price we’ve seen, making it a pretty great value.