Challenging Google with AI-Boosted Bing
Microsoft has taken a bold step forward in its attempt to compete with the dominant search engine, Google, with its AI-powered Bing search engine. In a recent test, the results of Bing seemed promising compared to Google. The test was conducted to see if Bing lives up to Microsoft’s claims and if it can match the wow factor of the ChatGPT AI chatbot.
Impressive Results
The test showed that in eight out of ten trials, the results of Bing were preferred over Google, thanks to its AI capabilities. Although Google is well-known for its search engine, it’s hard to change people’s habits. However, with over a million people already signed up for AI-boosted Bing, it’s clear that more powerful search engines are in the future.
Mundane Searches
For simple searches such as “weather in Waco Texas” or “what is a grunion,” both Bing and Google perform well. However, for complicated searches, the combination of Microsoft’s web index and OpenAI’s language processing and generation abilities can be very useful.
Comparing the Two Engines
A comparison between the two engines was conducted for richer, more elaborate queries. Although not a scientific study, the results were revealing.
Search for a Good Day Hike on a Road Trip
When searching for a good day hike on a road trip from Los Angeles to Albuquerque, Bing offered a significant improvement over Google. Bing suggested a 9-mile trip up Mount Baden-Powell sourced from PlanetWare, while Google only offered generic tourist advice. With the AI interface of Bing, it provided new options, including a short trip near Albuquerque and several options near the Grand Canyon.
Merging Folders on MacOS
For a tech support query on merging two folders on MacOS, including subdirectories, Bing provided a better answer compared to Google. Bing pointed to a MacPaw answer, while Google suggested an answer from the Apple support site. However, Bing’s AI results offered information on using the Finder or MacOS’ ditto command, which was more useful.
What was Shot Down Over Alaska
When searching for information on what was shot down over Alaska, Bing provided a more comprehensive answer compared to Google. Bing cited multiple news sources and offered a summary of the event. This illustrates how Microsoft’s Bing engine, which indexes recently added information to the web, outperforms OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
What Does IRA Stand For?
When searching for the meaning of IRA, Bing offered the two most obvious answers in a box. With the AI interface of Bing, it presented information from Bing-supplied websites, with footnotes leading to source material. The answer provided a clear explanation of the different types of IRAs and allowed for follow-up questions.
Comparing the Intelligence of Marie Curie and Nikola Tesla
When comparing the intelligence of Marie Curie and Nikola Tesla, Bing provided a synopsis of each person’s achievements and concluded that it is difficult to compare their intelligence objectively. By comparison, Google only offered a link to a Quora website on the subject.
Apologizing for Being Late to a Meeting
For a prompt on writing an email apologizing for being late to a crucial meeting, Bing handed the task over to OpenAI. The response was