Try 'the new Bing' ahead of the official launch. How to preview the AI-powered search engine.
"The new Bing" is still invite-only, but you can preview how it works.
Since Microsoft announced a new and improved version of its search engine integrated with OpenAI's ChatGPT technology, select users have been granted early access to test it out. There's currently a waitlist to receive access when Microsoft rolls out Bing to more users in the coming weeks. But if you're dying to see how it works, you can see a live demo on desktop now.
How to access the Bing preview
On the Bing homepage, you'll see a preview right under the search bar. The preview shows a prompt in a conversational style saying, "I need to throw a dinner party for 6 people who are vegetarian. Can you suggest a 3-course menu with a chocolate dessert?" Under the prompt, click the button "Try it" to see the answer it generates.
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Click the arrows on the side of the preview to explore other prompts like "I'm planning a trip for our anniversary in September. What are some places we can go that are within a 3 hour flight from London Heathrow?" and "Arts and crafts ideas, with instructions for a toddler using only cardboard boxes, plastic bottles, paper, and string." Click "Try it" to check out the answers to these prompts.
How to preview more Bing examples
Next to the "Try it" button, you can click "Learn more" to see the full list of prompts Bing is demo-ing. In addition to the three prompts mentioned above, you can test other prompts. Hover over the tile of each example topic to see the following prompts.
Click "Try it on Bing" to see how Bing answers them.
"Plan me a workout for my arms and abs with no situps and no gym equipment. It should only take 30 minutes"
"Write a poem that rhymes for my 8-year old Jake. He loves dogs and facts about the ocean"
"I went fishing in Bighorn in Montana and I would like to go fishing in the Florida Keys in the Spring. What do I need to do differently to prepare?"
"Write a story for children about a dog who lives on the moon"
"Write code to find the Fibonacci sequence in Python"
"What cars should I consider buying that are AWD, go 0-60 in less than 6 seconds, seat 6 or more, and have decent reviews?"
"Write a quiz about pop music trivia that I can play with my friends and has 5 questions."
"How do I pick the best dog breed for me? Is it better to adopt or buy?"
"I like electronic music and want to go to my first festival this year. Do you have any recommendations or tips for me?"
Clicking on the prompt takes you to a new page that shows traditional search results on the left and Bing's AI chatbot response on the right. For the workout prompt, you're given detailed step-by-step instructions for different ab and arm workouts including, how many sets and reps to do, description of proper form, what muscles each exercise targets. The answers contain footnotes that link out to the source of the information.
It's worth noting that it includes crunches as a part of the workout, which is kind of like a mini sit-up, so Bing definitely still has some work to do.
How to chat with Bing
At the end of the response, the preview suggests various follow-up questions, like "Can you show me how to do push up?" Clicking on the questions opens a chat window where you can talk through your question in real time with Bing's chatbot. Currently, clicking on the questions only shows a demo conversation of the vegetarian dinner party menu question, but it gives you an idea of what to expect.
How's early access Bing testing going?
Naturally, early access users are putting the new Bing to the test, and results posted online show mixed results. One user's prompt was reportedly met with some aggressive gaslighting, while another seemed to have struck a nerve with Bing upon being asked it if was sentient. So, not quite the friendly Bing showing up in the preview. Regardless, it's exciting to see where the technology goes in the coming weeks.
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Topics Artificial Intelligence Microsoft
Cecily is a tech reporter at Mashable who covers AI, Apple, and emerging tech trends. Before getting her master's degree at Columbia Journalism School, she spent several years working with startups and social impact businesses for Unreasonable Group and B Lab. Before that, she co-founded a startup consulting business for emerging entrepreneurial hubs in South America, Europe, and Asia. You can find her on X at @cecily_mauran.
