ChatGPT is heating up the tech world, prompting a lot of companies to try to get in on the AI act. One of those companies is Microsoft, which has outfitted its Edge browser with a version of ChatGPT you can use in a variety of ways, making it potentially more helpful than OpenAI’s tool.
Bing AI can serve as a chat tool; write different types of content, from poems to songs to stories to reports; provide you with information and insights on the website currently open in the browser; and use its image creator to design a logo, drawing, artwork, or other image based on text.
Is Bing AI better than ChatGPT? Both chatbots are a work in progress, and they have a lot of similarities. Bing AI runs a version of GPT-4 customized for search, and Microsoft itself has invested billions of dollars in ChatGPT creator OpenAI. But for Microsoft power users, or those who are inspired to give Bing another peek with this AI rollout, it may make more sense to use the Bing tools than ChatGPT. Let’s look at what Bing AI can do.
You can access the AI-powered Bing on Windows and macOS via the Microsoft Edge browser, as well as the Bing, Edge, and Skype mobile apps for Android and iOS. Edge is built into Windows 10 and Windows 11, but you can download it, which opens in a new window for Mac and older versions of Windows.
On the desktop, launch Edge and click the Discover icon in the upper right (the one with the B logo). If you do not see the “Welcome to the new Bing” message, click the Sign in to chat button and sign in with the Microsoft account you wish to use. You should then be welcomed to the new Bing. (Initially, access to the Bing AI required you to join a waitlist and wait for a confirmation email, but Microsoft has since opened up the tool (opens in new window) to more people).
On mobile, you’ll also be prompted to sign in with a Microsoft account. The mobile experience includes most of the features in the desktop version but places them in a more compact layout.
If you have the SwiftKey app, Microsoft has also integrated the keyboard app it acquired in 2016 with Bing Chat on iOS and Android. But it goes beyond the keyboard app, because SwiftKey can be used with third-party apps, “from email apps to social media and more”, Microsoft says.
