Will Bing be your next search engine?
Too soon to tell, says Morning Consult tech analyst Jordan Marlatt.
With Google’s massive edge in the search wars, Microsoft is pinning its hopes on its new Bing chatbot.
“How much catch up does Bing have to play in this space? The answer is quite a bit,” Marlatt said.
More than half of adults in the U.S. – 57% – use Google Search on a daily basis compared to 10% for Bing, according to new data from Morning Consult Brand Intelligence shared exclusively with USA TODAY.
“To put that into context, more people use the Firefox web browser than use Bing every day,” Marlatt said.
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Is Bing using ChatGPT?
ChatGPT, which is owned by OpenAI, quickly caught on after launching late last year as millions marveled at its ability to sound like a real person.
Microsoft, which is an OpenAI financial backer, recently unveiled a new Bing search engine powered by ChatGPT technology.
The new Bing chatbot will face competition from Google’s chatbot Bard which is also set to launch soon.
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Google is popular with young people, Bing with baby boomers
One challenge for Bing: Google has higher favorability ratings, Marlatt says.
Nearly 9 in10 Google search users hold it in high regard versus 75% of Bing users who have a favorable view of Bing.
There are generational differences, too. Gen Z adults aren’t crazy about Bing: 65% have a favorable view and 26% an unfavorable view.
Younger people grow up on Google products, including Chromebooks in school, while baby boomers and older adults were more likely raised on Microsoft Word and PCs, Marlatt says.
If the Bing chatbot answers queries more accurately and more succinctly, that could win over Gen Z users who love futuristic products, he said.
Bing chatbot spits out ‘unhinged,’ emotional responses
So far, the Bing chatbot’s track record has been hit and miss. Those test-driving the AI-powered technology say it has been spitting out inaccurate, “unhinged,” emotional and even threatening responses.
Microsoft says it is having people test the chatbot so Microsoft can fix flaws. Long chat sessions can confuse the chatbot, it said. And the chatbot also tries to reflect the tone of the questions it’s being asked.
In some ways, the wacky reactions have been good for business, says Big Technology newsletter writer Alex Kantrowitz.
“Even in its weirdest moments, Bing’s chatbot has brought new relevance to Microsoft and its search division. Its previously-flatlining Bing app almost surpassed Google in downloads last Saturday, and search interest in Bing is spiking,” he wrote.
Google search users trust Google
But Bing’s chatbot will have to reliably answer questions and search queries to win meaningful market share, Marlatt says. And trust is another arena where Google has an edge.
Nearly three-quarters of Google Search users trust the brand, but little more than two-thirds of Bing users feel the same. Just 62% of Gen Z adults trust Bing “a lot” or “somewhat” while 29% don’t trust Bing much or at all.
Story Credit: usatoday.com