Microsoft is expanding its AI capabilities on Bing to include AI-generated buying guides. These guides will offer product comparisons in various categories, such as headphones or laptops. When users search for something like “college supplies,” Bing will display a link to a buying guide at the top of the search results. Clicking on the guide will provide a summary generated by AI along with a list of relevant products. Users can also compare products side by side using a chart that pulls specifications from the manufacturers’ websites.
While this new feature seems convenient, some users may be skeptical of relying solely on AI to find the best products. Human reviewers are often trusted to do the necessary research and provide unbiased opinions. Microsoft acknowledges this concern but believes that the product comparison chart can still be a useful tool, assuming it accurately pulls in the right data. This feature is currently available in Bing in the US and will be rolling out in Edge worldwide.
Additionally, Microsoft is introducing review summaries in its Bing chatbot. When users ask about what people are saying about a product, the chatbot will summarize reviews from retailers such as Amazon and Walmart. It would be interesting to compare these summaries to actual customer reviews to see if they accurately capture the most important details.
However, it’s worth noting that the review summaries may not always align with customer reviews. For example, in the case of the “Surface Headphones 2,” the mention of “long battery life” contradicts some customer reviews on Amazon. This highlights the importance of conducting personal research and reading multiple reviews before making a purchasing decision. The review summaries feature will be available worldwide.
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In addition to these new AI features, Microsoft is also introducing a price match feature in Edge. This feature monitors the price of an item after it has been purchased. If the price drops, Edge will prompt the user to contact the retailer for a refund. Bing will even draft a message that the user can send to the retailer, saving them the trouble of writing it themselves.
However, with all these AI tools and shopping features being added to Edge, some users feel that the browser is becoming bloated. What was once promoted as a lightweight alternative to Chrome is now filled with tools that not all users want or need. Some users suggest that these AI tools could be consolidated into an extension, allowing users to choose whether or not they want to use them.
Overall, Microsoft’s expansion of AI capabilities on Bing and Edge offers new ways for users to find and compare products online. However, it’s important to remain cautious and conduct personal research to ensure that the information provided by AI aligns with real customer experiences.
