Bing is coming for Google with GPT-4 integration, improving results
posted Sunday Feb 5, 2023 by Scott Ertz
Last week on The Piltch Point, Avram Piltch discussed ChatGPT and the dangers of generative AI. While using AI to produce written content can be a questionable move, using AI to improve the way we understand the information on the internet is the logical place for the technology to exist. Microsoft has agreed with this sentiment, having invested several times in OpenAI, the organization behind ChatGPT. Now, we expect to see the fruits of those investments when Microsoft changes Bing search in the coming weeks.
What is generative AI?
Generative AI is an artificial intelligence technology that uses natural language processing and machine learning to generate texts or other forms of creative content. This process includes both supervised and unsupervised learning, as well as data augmentation. Generative AI can be used for tasks like writing articles, generating product descriptions, creating music, or even creating videos. Generative AI has become increasingly popular in recent years, with its use in a variety of industries ranging from financial services to healthcare.
There are obvious dangers with the technology. Generative AI has the potential to be used for nefarious purposes, like creating fake contracts or spreading misinformation. Therefore, it is important that organizations use proper safeguards when using generative AI and that they are transparent about such usage with their customers. In addition, the technology can produce errors. For example, generating incorrect images or articles may lead to misinformed decision-making.
Generative AI in internet searches
Generative AI can also be used to improve internet searches. As searches become more personalized and tailored to individual users, AI-powered models are being developed to better understand user queries and provide more relevant results. The technology can even generate images or other content that is uniquely associated with the query, resulting in a more customized experience for the user.
Microsoft believes that by integrating this technology into Bing, they can challenge Google's dominance in search. While ChatGPT is the face of the OpenAI product offering, GPT-4 is the heart of the technology. This is what Microsoft really has its eye on, and what they have reportedly been integrating into Bing now for a while. In fact, according to industry insiders, Microsoft could be ready to reveal a GPT-4 powered upgrade to Bing in just a few weeks.
GPT-4 is a major upgrade over the currently available GPT-3, which is what currently powers ChatGPT. The new technology is reportedly faster and less error prone. Using the power of the data collected and the processing of that data, Microsfot hopes to improve the way that Bing returns results. This week, in addition to reports of an impending launch, Microsoft appears to have accidentally released a pre-release version.
According to screenshots and videos, the interface looks familiar yet different. The search box is larger, as it is intended to be used with natural language instead of keyword-based search input. The results are also different, looking more like the answer box on Google and the current Bing, than the traditional search results. However, the results can be based on multiple pages, rather than a single source. Beneath the AI-powered research result, you'll see a collection of links to where the info came from. This gives you the ability to follow up on the answer given to learn more and to verify the answer as given.
The dangers of AI search
There are a couple of issues. First, the possibility of false answers is high. Using ChatGPT, you'll notice that answers can be incomplete, incorrect, or even damaging. By integrating those harmful results into search, people could potentially hurt themselves, or believe incorrect information.
Another big issue is that search stops being a way for people to discover information from various sources and instead become a place that tries to tie information for you. That has damaging possible effects on publishers, whose content will no longer be seen by people looking for information. Without people writing content, like our site and Tom's Hardware, GPT-4 will have no additional information to draw from on new topics. That will leave less information, making it easier for nefarious actors to inject fake data into the system.
No mater the case, we expect to see the new version of Bing in just a few weeks.
