Microsoft did not lie last week when it stated in the presentation of the new Bing with the “tuned” version of ChatGPT that the beta phase would start very soon. Just yesterday we told you that the company had begun to send the first invitations, and just 24 hours after that, and one week after the presentation of Prometheus, we have already received an invitation to prove what everything indicates that it is the future of information searches on the Internet.
I was waiting for the message, although the truth is that I had no objective reason to think that I would be among the first users to receive an invitation (although it is true that I followed part of the steps that were recommended to speed up access to the beta), which is why the one that I have remained more attentive than usual to the email account that I used to sign up for the waiting list. Yesterday, after publishing the news about the first invitations, I checked it a couple of times, but it was now, 24 hours later, when i finally received the invitation.
By clicking on the button of the email with the invitation you will not go directly to the new Bing, but to a page with information about it and some examples, in case you are short of inspiration when you start trying it out. Also, if the default browser on your PC is not Microsoft Edge and the page opens in it, you will be prompted that you must use the Microsoft browser to test the beta. However, those from Redmond confirmed that it will reach other browsers later.
Revised said page arrives finally time to access the search engine, for which the fastest way is to type www.bing.com in the address bar of Edge. In this way, the interface that we could already see in the leaks from a little over a week ago will be shown, and confirmed last Tuesday with the official presentation. In it, the traditional search bar has been replaced by a larger box, with the text “Ask me anything” and with a maximum capacity of 1,000 characters. If you scroll down, you will find the rest of the elements that are usually displayed in your personalized browser settings.
Of course, as you can see, the generic background that was shown in those images is replaced by the striking and beautiful photographs that usually make up the background of the browser. So, it’s time to make the first consultation, and the first thing that occurs to me is to ask about the distance between Earth and Mars. I add a couple of sub-questions, to check if it answers them, I press enter and, at that moment, I am surprised, because this is what is displayed:
What happened? Have I done something wrong? What I see is a results page, similar (or almost similar) to the one that the “old” Bing showed me.. However, there is a difference that you can see on the left side of the page and also, when we look at the bar that is displayed on the results, which allows us to choose the type of results that we want to consult, we see that the “Chat” entry, so what corresponds is to click on it and see what happens, right?
This is already something else! Now I am seeing what I expected, that is, a response in text mode to my query, and also with the links to the sources used to build said response. This, of course, allows us to verify that the information that Bing is providing us is real, or at least that it comes from sources that have a reputation to be considered reliable. This point is not trivial at all. Quite the contrary, precisely one of the most worrying aspects of chatbots is their tendency to make up answers without indicating that they are doing so. However, with clear identification of the sources, this problem is almost completely mitigated.
In addition, obviously we continue to have access to the “traditional” results page, so in case of doubt, if we want more information or if we wish for any other reason, we can go to it by scrolling down the page.
The distance between Earth and Mars is a common question, quite generic. What’s more, I bet I haven’t been anywhere near the first person to have raised it with the new AI-powered Bing. That’s why I think it will be interesting to ask you a less common question, for which I already know the answer, but which I don’t think is common. So, after thinking about it a bit, I ask him “Do you know MuyComputer?”. This is his response:
Actually MuyComputerPRO is not a section of MuyComputer, but a sister website dedicated, as Bing rightly indicates, to the professional field. Now, have you looked closely at the answer? Isn’t there something that catches your eye? Indeed, the two MuyComputer news to which it links are the ones that we have published most recently, that is, just before writing and publishing this one.
This is, without a doubt, another very remarkable aspect, since unlike ChatGPT, which is updated only periodically (not constantly) and which, as he himself indicates on many occasions, does not have an Internet connection, Bing with Prometheus yes it is updated permanently, constantly, so is able to provide us with up-to-the-minute information on inquiries that we carry out. Again, an element that gives more confidence when opting for this new information search format.
Thus, encouraged by this verification, I decide to ask you a question about a topic of recent news, the new European public DNS about which we informed you yesterday. This is what he answered me
In this case we find lights and shadows. On the negative side, and although he speaks of European public DNS, he has interpreted it as “public DNS servers that can be used in Europe”, instead of understanding that I was referring to those recommended by the European Union. However, in this case we can understand that there is a lack of context and that the recommendation is quite new, so it is possible that the model is not yet able to identify this specific fact.
On the positive side, again, we find the references and, sorry for the point of collective immodesty, for the fact that I recommend our article from yesterday for users who wish to expand information about it. Without a doubt, in this case you have chosen an unbeatable source.
I close this first contact with the new Bing with Prometheus, but during the next few days, without a doubt, I will continue looking for its uses, its virtues and also, of course, the seams. However, I must say that the first impression has been quite positive and that the idea that the (near) future of the search for information goes through this new paradigm seems to me a success. However, it is still too early to reach in-depth conclusions, so it is best to continue testing.
Are you already testing Bing with Prometheus? And if so, how is your experience turning out both with the results and with the format? And whether you’re already trying it out or not yet, do you think this will be the format for information seekers in the future?
