Microsoft unveils new features for Bing chatbot

Microsoft released an update for the Bing chatbot, including image search, restaurant reservations, history storage, and improved Edge integration. The conversational AI has also exited the closed testing phase.

The ‘Actions’ feature allows users to perform a range of tasks without leaving sites. For example, if a search result recommends a restaurant, the chat bot can help book a table directly within the dialogue.

The capability was demonstrated with streaming video services as well. A user can ask the chat bot to play a film, and Bing will automatically choose the right service and open the site.

Microsoft did not list all partners working with ‘Actions’. The company demonstrated the feature’s capabilities using OpenTable for restaurant bookings and Apple TV for movie searches.

In addition, the chat bot can now deliver images and videos directly in the chat window.

“We are delivering more substantive and visual answers, including diagrams and charts, as well as updated formatting of answers,” said Yusuf Mehdi, head of consumer marketing at Microsoft.

Visual-content search lets users request photographs or videos of objects, animals, places and much else, the company said.

Microsoft has also expanded the image generator by text prompts Bing Image Creator to more than 100 languages, including Russian and Ukrainian.

In addition, the corporation has allowed users to store their chat history. Later, the company will integrate chat-export tools so users can share them on social networks or move them into documents.

With the introduction of history, the Edge sidebar has gained a new feature. When opening a link from a Bing answer it will automatically move the chat to the side panel. This allows users to continue asking questions while browsing the site.

Microsoft announced experiments with personalising chat sessions, adding context from previous history to new conversations.

According to the announcement, in the near future the Edge Compose feature on the side panel will receive improved tone controls for text generation, and Edge Mobile will gain page-context support.

Microsoft will also open Bing chat to developers of third-party plugins. The company has not yet announced timelines for plugin integration, but spoke of collaborations with OpenTable, Wolfram Alpha and OpenAI.

Some of the features are already available. The company promised to share more details at the Build conference, which will be held from May 23 to 25.

In March, the tech giant said that Bing had surpassed the 100 million active users per day, a month after the chatbot’s integration.

In the same month Microsoft introduced an image generator called Image Creator, based on OpenAI’s DALL-E. The tool has been integrated into Bing and Edge.