Image: © Rawf8/Stock.adobe.com
Microsoft said the update will give hundreds of millions of people access to the AI-powered chatbot, which will be accessible from the Windows taskbar.
Microsoft is launching a major update for Windows 11 that brings a wave of new features, including the company’s latest Bing search engine.
The update brings a new typable search box directly into the taskbar, letting users quickly access the feature with the capabilities of an AI-powered Bing.
The new version of Bing – powered by OpenAI technology – was recently released in a limited preview form for more than 1m people. Microsoft said this software will make basic search query responses more accurate and relevant, while providing conversational-style answers to questions.
Microsoft chief product officer Panos Panay said the new update will let hundreds of millions of people get access to the new technology “to search, chat, answer questions and generate content from right on their Windows taskbar”.
“The search box is one of the most widely used features on Windows, with over half a billion users every month, and now with the typable Windows search box and the new AI-powered Bing front and centre to this experience you will be empowered to find the answers you’re looking for, faster than ever before,” Panay said.
Earlier this month, various examples were shared online of the new Bing chatbot sending strange responses to basic questions by giving incorrect, aggressive and eerie responses to user queries.
At the time, a Microsoft spokesperson told SiliconRepublic.com that the company is aware of the issues. The company said “long, extended chat sessions of 15 or more questions” can cause Bing to become repetitive or give unhelpful responses.
“It’s important to note that last week we announced a preview of this new experience,” the spokesperson said. “We’re expecting that the system may make mistakes during this preview period, and user feedback is critical to help identify where things aren’t working well so we can learn and help the models get better.
More AI features and phone link
Microsoft said various features are coming in this Windows 11 update, including new ways to link phones to user PCs and AI features for some Microsoft products.
The company said a new Phone Link feature is being made for iOS devices, to make it easier for users to notice calls and texts while they’re focused on their PC.
Phone Link is already available for Android devices, but Microsoft said this feature will be simpler to activate through the update.
The new update also brings improvements to Windows Studio Effects, which was launched last year by Microsoft.
This feature already had AI capabilities to help users look their best online, offering features such as background blur and automatic framing.
“Now you can instantly adjust background blur, eye contact and automatic framing, and apply them to your favorite communications applications, with seamless integration into Microsoft Teams,” Pinay said.
The various new features are being released through Windows Update. Microsoft expects the features to be made fully available in the March security update release.
10 things you need to know direct to your inbox every weekday. Sign up for the Daily Brief, Silicon Republic’s digest of essential sci-tech news.
