Microsoft has announced a series of updates to its AI-powered Bing Chat, signaling a broader push to make the chatbot more accessible and feature-rich for users across various platforms.
Bing Chat in Mobile Browsers
Microsoft is set to bring Bing Chat to mobile browsers, expanding its reach beyond the dedicated Bing mobile apps for Android and iOS. Initially exclusive to Microsoft's Edge browser, Bing Chat began testing on Chrome and Safari desktop browsers in late July. The move to support third-party browsers on both desktop and mobile platforms is a significant step in Microsoft's strategy to make Bing Chat more universally accessible.
Plugin Support for Bing Chat in Microsoft Edge
Microsoft aslo has begun testing plugins for Bing Chat in the Edge browser, with features like OpenTable, Wolfram, and Instacart being showcased.
At the moment, only certain users who are using the Microsoft Edge Canary browser can use plug-ins on Bing Chat. A user on X (previously known as Twitter) named @Leopeva64 was the first to notice this feature and shared a GIF that shows a section for Bing Chat plug-ins. Although they are not yet available for download, this could indicate that Microsoft is in the last stages of development and they will likely be accessible soon.
These are the first plugins available for Bing Chat:https://t.co/9Fn5Elznfu
.https://t.co/K3FSWyepIj
.https://t.co/xPUlIqPPKm pic.twitter.com/oeEGNF52kh— Leopeva64 (@Leopeva64) August 6, 2023
These plugins, currently in the final stages of development, will offer users added functionalities such as restaurant bookings and data visualizations. While the plugin support is currently limited to the Edge browser, there's potential for broader availability in the future.
Windows Integration and Third-Party Browser Support
Microsoft's integration efforts extend beyond browsers. Windows Copilot, powered by Bing Chat, is set to arrive on Windows 11, offering users centralized AI experiences. Additionally, Bing's integration with SwiftKey aims to leverage AI for predictive text, translations, and tone editing. While Bing Chat is expanding its support to third-party browsers, Microsoft emphasizes that the best experience remains on the Edge browser, where users can access extended chat histories and other exclusive features.
Growth and Rollout of New Features
Since its launch six months ago, Bing Chat has witnessed significant user engagement. The platform has recorded over 1 billion chats and generated over 750 million images. Microsoft attributes part of this success to the initial exclusivity of Bing Chat to the Edge browser, which has seen nine consecutive quarters of growth. Among the new features introduced is the Bing Image Creator, powered by OpenAI's DALL∙E models. This tool allows users to generate images based on textual descriptions. Another notable update is the Chat History feature, which saves previous chats for future reference, enhancing the user experience.
