Technologies

Microsoft Limits Bing AI Chats to 5 Replies to Keep Conversations Normal

Exchanges are being restricted so the AI chatbot won’t get too strange.

Microsoft is limiting how extensively people can converse with its Bing AI chatbot, following media coverage of the bot going off the rails during long exchanges. Bing Chat will now reply to up to five questions or statements in a row for each conversation, after which users will be prompted to start a new topic, the company announced in a blog post Friday. Users will also be limited to 50 total replies per day.

The restrictions are meant to keep conversations from getting weird. Microsoft said long discussions «can confuse the underlying chat model.»

On Wednesday the company had said it was working to fix problems with Bing, launched just over a week before, including factual errors and odd exchanges. Bizarre responses reported online have included Bing telling a New York Times columnist to abandon his marriage to be with the chatbot, and the AI demanding an apology from a Reddit user for disagreeing that the year was still 2022.

The chatbot’s responses have also included factual errors, and Microsoft said on Wednesday that it was tweaking the AI model to quadruple the amount of data from which it can source answers. The company said it would also give users more control over whether they wanted precise answers, which are sourced from Microsoft’s proprietary Bing AI technology, or more «creative» responses that use OpenAI’s ChatGPT tech.

Bing’s AI chat functionality is still in beta-testing mode, with potential users joining a wait list for access. With the tool, Microsoft hopes to get a head start on what some say will be the next revolution in internet search, among other things. The ChatGPT technology made a big splash when it arrived late last year, but OpenAI itself has warned of potential pitfalls, and Microsoft has acknowledged limitations. And despite AI’s impressive qualities, concerns have been raised about such tools being used for nefarious purposes like spreading misinformation and churning out phishing emails.

With Bing’s AI capabilities, Microsoft would also like to get a jump on search powerhouse Google, which announced its own AI chat model, Bard, last week. Bard has had its own problems with factual errors, fumbling a response during a demo.

In its Friday blog post, Microsoft suggested the new AI chat restrictions were based on information gleaned from the beta test.

«Our data has shown that the vast majority of you find the answers you’re looking for within 5 turns and that only ~1% of chat conversations have 50+ messages,» it said. «As we continue to get your feedback, we will explore expanding the caps on chat sessions to further enhance search and discovery experiences.»

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

Verum Messenger Goes Desktop: Launches macOS Version as Part of Expanding Digital Ecosystem

The team behind Verum Messenger has announced a new update, introducing a full-featured macOS version of the application.

The launch of the Mac version marks a significant step in the platform’s development, enabling users to access Verum Messenger not only on mobile devices but also on desktop environments.

The macOS version ensures seamless synchronization across devices while maintaining the platform’s core principles: security, stability, and independence.

Unified Digital Experience

With the release of the macOS version, users can now:

— communicate on a larger screen
— manage chats and files more efficiently
— use the messenger in a full desktop environment
— access core features without limitations

This is particularly valuable for users who rely on messaging platforms for both communication and professional use.

Expanding Capabilities

Verum Messenger continues to evolve into a multifunctional platform combining:

— secure communication
— financial tools (Verum Finance)
— digital asset operations, including Tether
— investment features such as Verum Gold

Toward a Full Ecosystem

The macOS release reflects Verum Messenger’s strategy to become a universal digital platform available across all major devices.

According to the team, the goal is to provide users with continuous access to communication and financial services regardless of device or environment.

Verum Messenger continues to build technologies focused on security, usability, and global accessibility.

Technologies

Google, Meta and Amazon Join Global Pact to Fight Rising Online Scams

The companies will share fraud intelligence and coordinate responses as AI makes scams faster, cheaper and harder to detect.

Modern online scams operate across multiple platforms, perhaps spanning social media, messaging apps, email and online marketplaces. Google, Meta and Amazon are among 11 tech, retail and payments companies that have signed a new agreement to combat online scams by sharing threat intelligence across platforms, Axios first reported Monday.

The initiative, called the Industry Accord Against Online Scams & Fraud, is designed to improve how companies detect and respond to fraud that spans multiple services. Participants say they will exchange signals, such as scam-linked accounts and fraudulent domains, and coordinate enforcement actions.

By sharing intelligence in near real time, companies hope to identify these scams earlier and stop them before they spread.

The effort reflects how modern scams operate. A victim might encounter a fake celebrity investment ad on social media, move to a messaging app where the scammer builds trust, then faces prompts to send money through a fraudulent website, payment app or crypto wallet — spanning multiple companies’ ecosystems.

Google said it now blocks hundreds of millions of scam-related results every day using AI, underscoring how both attackers and defenders are increasingly relying on the same technology. Meta removed more than 159 million scam ads in 2025 and is expanding AI tools to detect impersonation and warn users.

Online scams are growing rapidly, in part because generative AI has lowered the barrier to entry. AI can be used not only to produce realistic phishing emails but also to clone voices and deepfake videos that impersonate executives, public figures and even family members.

The agreement is voluntary and doesn’t create new legal obligations, but it comes after regulators’ increased pressure on tech platforms to address fraud more aggressively. The companies say they will begin building frameworks for reporting and intelligence-sharing, though it’s not yet clear how quickly those systems will be deployed or how effective they will be in practice.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Wednesday, March 18

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for March 18.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? I thought it was a fairly easy one, but read on for all the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.