Tech

Microsoft hopes to take on Google with a version of Bing that uses the AI behind ChatGPT, report says

Photo of Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. Microsoft publically backed OpenAI, the startup that developed ChatGPT, in 2019 with a $1 billion investment. Abdulhamid Hosbas/Getty Images
Read in app

Microsoft is hoping its Bing search engine can take on rival Google with a feature that incorporates the tech behind the AI chatbot, ChatGPT.

Microsoft plans to use the same AI as ChatGPT to provide users with answers to some searches, rather than just displaying relevant links, two people familiar with the plans told The Information.

Microsoft could launch the new AI-powered version of Bing before the end of March, the news outlet reported.

Representatives for OpenAI and Microsoft did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment made outside normal working hours. Both companies declined to comment on the plans to The Information. 

Microsoft publically backed OpenAI, the startup that developed ChatGPT, in 2019 with a $1 billion investment.

Since then, Microsoft has launched an AI coding tool, known as Copilot, that utilizes OpenAI's technology to help developers automatically generate code. In an October blog post, the tech giant also said it planned to incorporate OpenAI's image generator, DALL-E, into its Image Creator in Bing. 

Google has reportedly been scrambling to try and combat the threat posed by OpenAI's ChatGPT.

The tech giant's management issued a "code red" after the launch of the AI chatbot sparked concerns about the future of Google Search, according to The New York Times.

Google's CEO, Sundar Pichai, has directed some company resources to refocus its efforts on addressing the issues posed by ChatGPT, according to an internal memo and audio recording reviewed by The Times. 

Read next

Beatrice Nolan was a tech reporter on the business news team in the UK. She joined Insider in January 2022 as a fellow on Business Insider's careers desk. Beatrice covered tech and the future of work, with a focus on artificial intelligence. Some of her stories and early experiments with ChatGPT are widely cited. Beatrice has also discussed her work covering AI trends on panels and radio shows, including NPR.She was based in Business Insider's London office and graduated from the University of  York with a bachelor's degree in English.Featured Articles:Artists say AI image generators are copying their style to make thousands of new images — and it's completely out of their control.ChatGPT was a black swan eventFinland is the world's happiest country, but Finns say we're confusing happiness for something elseThe world is splitting between those who use ChatGPT to get better, smarter, richer — and everyone elseThis man used AI to write and illustrate a children's book in one weekend. He wasn't prepared for the backlash.ChatGPT has only been around for 2 months and is causing untold chaosTwo professors who say they caught students cheating on essays with ChatGPT explain why AI plagiarism can be hard to proveChatGPT wrote college application essays. Admissions professionals said they passed for essays written by students but wouldn't have a chance at any top colleges.College professors are considering creative ways to stop students from using AI to cheatChatGPT wrote my cover letters. Here's how recruiters responded.