Microsoft is currently working on a new update for Bing that will add an AI-powered assistant bot to its search engine.
As reported by Windows Latest, the new assistant appears to offer the same functionality as Cortana and will be able to communicate directly over search results.
Microsoft has been developing bots for Bing for some time now as the company first showed off previews of single-purpose bots for its search engine back in 2017. Now though, it appears the software giant is testing out a new productivity-focused bot called “Chat” which is designed to help users with their search queries.
Bing assistant
Once rolled out to Microsoft’s search engine, users will be able to launch the Bing assistant by clicking on a new “chat” icon that will appear next to the floating search button.
The software giant’s alternative to Siri and Google Assistant is also capable of having casual conversations with users. During its testing, Windows Latest asked Bing bot about Windows 10 and the assistant began discussing its new computer which is outfitted with the latest version of Windows.
The news outlet also discovered that the bot is capable of recommending products below a certain price point. For instance, a search for business laptop recommendations under $900 led Microsoft’s Bing assistant to recommend Lenovo laptops as they “can run all versions of Windows”. The assistant can also have casual conversations with users but Windows Latest found that it would repeat the questions it was asked if it didn’t have any information on the subject.
Bing assistant isn’t the first bot designed for the search engine though as Microsoft has also developed Bing Image Bot and Bing Music Bot during the last few years. We’ll have to wait and see when the company decides to release Bing assistant as there has yet to be an official announcement regarding the new chatbot.
Via Windows Latest