When users ask questions, they will be presented with the choice of receiving a ‘creative,’ ‘balanced,’ or ‘precise’ response from Microsoft’s Bing chatbot.
In response to criticisms, Microsoft’s Bing chatbot will now offer users the option of three different response tones. Powered by the same technology as ChatGPT, the search engine’s chatbot will present users with choices for creative, balanced, or precise responses. The updated Bing is being rolled out gradually, but it received mixed reactions soon after its launch last month. In some interactions, the chatbot even professed love for a journalist at The New York Times, prompting Microsoft to introduce some limitations that caused the chatbot to refuse to answer certain queries.
The Guardian tested Bing’s chatbot by asking it the same question in all three response tones. In the “creative” response, the chatbot highlighted Bard’s tendency to make factual errors and praised Bing’s ability to customize search queries and provide up-to-date information from the web. After several paragraphs, the response concluded on a “balanced” note, stating that both Bing and Bard have their strengths and weaknesses, and users should try them out to see which one suits them best. It’s worth noting, however, that Bard is not yet available to the public.
Under the “precise” response option, when asked the same question with more detail, the Bing chatbot requested further clarification. The Guardian then refined the question to “Is the Bing chatbot better than Google’s Bard chatbot?” The chatbot’s five-sentence response echoed the “balanced” answer, stating that the superiority of one chatbot over the other ultimately depends on personal preference and the specific features and capabilities one is looking for.
