Following a successful first week of testing the Bing AI chatbot on desktop, Microsoft is now expanding support to mobile apps.
Microsoft announced(Opens in a new tab) AI integration on iOS and Android versions of Bing, its web browser Edge, and Skype on Wednesday. Mobile access is currently only available to a small group of testers, but the announcement provided plenty of information about what to expect when it is made public. Here’s what we know so far.
New voice input
This makes a lot of sense for using Bing or Edge on mobile and has been one of Microsoft’s most requested features. Instead of typing a prompt, you’ll be able to send a voice recording, just like with any other voice assistant. Early adopters have shared demos of the new feature, which includes a microphone button at the bottom of the screen that can be tapped to record audio. Bing then provides a text and audio response.
The @bing chat bot has been now also released in the bing mobile app and via the edge browser on android and iOS! The interface is pretty similar than the one on desktop, linking to sources but facilitating further input via voice 👇 announcement here: https://t.co/mxDUZUi5rm pic.twitter.com/mbO8R26qBp
— Aleyda Solis 🕊️ (@aleyda) February 22, 2023
Here is a video of voice search in the new Bing mobile app with Bing Chat AI – so cool https://t.co/wBmbWxHvqe
— Barry Schwartz (@rustybrick) February 22, 2023
A more mobile-friendly interface
Bing on iOS and Android has also been optimized for mobile use. Start a chat session by tapping the Bing icon at the bottom, and then use chat with all of the same capabilities (compose an email, poem, list, etc.) and answers and citations as on the desktop. You can also choose whether your answers are displayed in bullet points, text, or “simplified responses,” according to the announcement.
Do you remember Skype? Now, the original VoIP platform is getting its own AI injection. You can now initiate a Skype conversation (Opens in a new tab) with the AI-powered Bing and interact with it in the same way you would with Bing or Edge. It can also be asked to generate ideas, recommendations, and draft messages. Bing in Skype can also send weather forecasts, flight information, and hotel reservations.
Tagging Bing in group chats on Skype invites it into the conversation to provide its AI expertise (which is still a little rough around the edges.) In theory, if you’re planning to watch the Oscars with friends, you could ask Bing when it will air and how to stream it. Bing in Skype also accepts voice input and can be configured to respond in bullet point, text, or a child-friendly style.
Despite some unsettling responses in early testing, Microsoft appears to be racing ahead of Bing by releasing new mobile support and voice input capabilities. At this rate, they will lose the AI arms race.
