Microsoft recently unveiled several new AI-powered innovations to improve search technology and increase productivity in the workplace.
Key announcements include:
- Visual search in Bing chat
- BingChatEnterprise
- Microsoft 365 Copilot
While developments promise more intuitive search and data experiences, they signal a shift towards a future where AI is more embedded in everyday tools.
This article examines these major announcements and their impact.
Visual Search in Chat: A New Frontier in Search Technology
The introduction of visual search in chat is probably the most innovative advancement for the SEO industry.
This new feature, enabled by OpenAI’s GPT-4 model, allows users to upload images and find related web content.
It represents an evolution of chatbot technology and goes beyond text prompts to include visual input as well. The result is a more intuitive and powerful search platform.
In addition, visual search in Bing Chat offers promising potential for improving accessibility. This can make finding information easier for people with limited ability to enter search terms.
Bing Chat Enterprise: AI-powered chat for an improved search experience
Microsoft is expanding Bing Chat with a new enterprise version called Bing Chat Enterprise.
This gives organizations AI chat functionality tailored to the workplace while protecting sensitive corporate data.
Research from Microsoft shows that most employees want to offload as much work as possible to AI. However, consumer AI tools for business use cases require more privacy.
Bing Chat Enterprise aims to solve this problem by offering AI chat services with strong commercial data backups, ensuring the safety of user and business data.
Bing Chat Enterprise is rolling out today as a preview at no additional cost to Microsoft 365 business customers.
Microsoft announced that it will be available as a standalone offering for $5 per monthly user.
Microsoft states in an announcement:
“Bing Chat Enterprise offers your company AI-powered chat for working with commercial privacy. User and business data is protected and not leaked out.”
Microsoft 365 Copilot: Leverage AI for optimal business data management
Microsoft 365 Copilot is an advanced AI system that can collaboratively analyze a company’s data.
It is integrated with numerous popular Microsoft applications. It can help increase creativity in Word, improve data analysis in Excel, enhance presentation design in PowerPoint, and provide additional functionality to other tools.
Rather than organizing and reporting on data, Microsoft 365 Copilot is about turning raw information into actionable recommendations and strategies.
By looking at disparate data sources, the tool can connect faster and generate insights.
Microsoft 365 Copilot will be available to commercial customers for $30 per user per month. It uses the same security, privacy, identity, and compliance rules as in Microsoft 365.
The future of AI in search and productivity
Microsoft’s recent AI announcements highlight the increasing role of AI in transforming search technology and increasing productivity in the workplace.
As Microsoft continues to develop its AI capabilities, people and businesses should carefully consider both the benefits and potential risks of integrating AI more widely into their work and life.
Featured image: AdriaVidal/Shutterstock
