If This Rumor Is True...

[Anderton]

...then Google's in trouble, and search will change radically - maybe for the better.

 

The rumor is that Microsoft will be integrating the ChatGPT engine into Bing very soon. Bing has traditionally been a second-class citizen compared to Google, but ChatGPT would be a huge reason for anyone to use Bing instead. Since Google is so dependent on advertising, its search engine prioritizes the sites that support Google. Microsoft doesn't prioritize advertising on Bing, so if you're looking for something like a compressor plug-in, I could easily see ChatGPT conversing in a way that hoovers up discussions from Musicplayer and everything else on the web.

 

Of course, any new technology will have unintended consequences, some good, some bad. I wonder if ChatGPT can be sued for plagiarism? And previous attempts to hoover up internet content have meant absorbing the worst part of the internet, not just the bet.

 

But if you're a fan of the word "disruptive," this could topple Google's king of the hill reign in short order. It should be interesting, assuming this rumor isn't just someone's fever dream at Microsoft.

 

 

 

 

ChatGPT 

[RABid]

I got a surprising pop up yesterday while using Google and Gmail. It informed me that my setting were set to share information with Google. It told me that was used to help with Google searches and picking suggested videos in YouTube. What surprised me is that it then told me how to change settings so that I would not be sharing that information with Google. I wondered if that was a result of one of the recent lawsuits. 

[KuruPrionz]

10 minutes ago, RABid said:

I got a surprising pop up yesterday while using Google and Gmail. It informed me that my setting were set to share information with Google. It told me that was used to help with Google searches and picking suggested videos in YouTube. What surprised me is that it then told me how to change settings so that I would not be sharing that information with Google. I wondered if that was a result of one of the recent lawsuits. 

I got that too, probably because I use gmail. 

My search engine has been Duck Duck Go for quite a while now. 

 

[Dave Bryce]

I got it as well…but as an email, not a pop up.

 

dB

[Anderton]

I think they're betting most people will be too lazy to change it. Or, want to have content served that relates to them.

[KuruPrionz]

I made them go away. 

Lovely little attempt at a guilt trip, didn't work. 

[Anderton]

13 minutes ago, The Real MC said:

Friends don't let friends use Google or Bing for searches.  They went waaaaaay overboard with targeted marketing using your search queries, I hate that crap.

 

But you can have so much fun with search engine roulette! Just search for things like "oil paintings of salamanders" or "garden vacations in Secaucus, New Jersey" and see what pops up. If nothing else, it's more entertaining than television.

[analogika]

Microsoft „has discussed“ integrating it into Office… 

 

https://www.theinformation.com/articles/ghost-writer-microsoft-looks-to-add-openais-chatbot-technology-to-word-email
 

That means somebody brought it up at some conference and they talked for a few minutes. 
 

I „have discussed“ landing a major international hit and buying one of the big publishing houses from the proceeds. 

[Anderton]

I think that integrating ChatGPT in Office would be a much heavier lift than integrating the engine that powers ChatGPT into Bing, which is what I understood is going on. We'll see how it shakes out; the estimate is that it will roll out in March, but that might mean March 2025

 

Bing is a second-class citizen in browser world at best (under 10% share compared to 83% for Google, last time I checked). So it would be a great test bed that wouldn't interfere with their crucial, money-making Office applications.

[Anderton]

Well, here's the latest:

 

The company has already begun integrating OpenAI technology into Azure, its cloud infrastructure business, announcing on Monday that an expansion of its Azure OpenAI service (which includes access to ChatGPT) is now generally available.

 

Microsoft formed a strategic partnership with OpenAI in 2019, investing $1 billion in the start-up at the time, and media reports have said recently that it is in talks to invest as much as $10 billion in the AI expert. Microsoft also reportedly plans to launch a ChatGPT-powered version of its Bing search engine as early as March.

[Anderton]

What this tells me is that Microsoft is accelerating what it does best, while it pulls back from where it's slipping. 

 

Despite Windows' market share dominance, Apple has a top-to-bottom, complete ecosystem - from chips to hardware to OS to services - that Microsoft will never have. Microsoft is so embedded in business and cloud services that it would be very hard for Apple to catch up. So I think things are settling down. If you want a computer, it's Apple. If you want to run a business, it's Microsoft.

[RABid]

On 1/19/2023 at 12:01 PM, Anderton said:

Microsoft is so embedded in business and cloud services that it would be very hard for Apple to catch up.

There is another reason that large businesses will stick with Microsoft over Apple, especially with critical systems. Microsoft has a history of doing everything they can to insure backwards compatibility. Apple has a history of breaking older software and forcing companies to either update or go away. Accounting, electronic medical records, communications. All critical systems that companies will continue running on Microsoft. 

 

And I have to say that as the CIO of a rural, back woods non-profit regional community mental health center I had a great relationship with Microsoft. We purchased the small version of Great Plains accounting software. By small version, the annual maintenance agreement was still $10,000 a year. Better than the $100,000 a year maintenance for the large version. Microsoft bought Great Plains and did away with the small version. They upgraded us to the large version for free and informed me in writing that as long as we made our payments on time for the maintenance agreement it would never increase. And it didn't. They have a great discount license program for non profits. Health care is excluded from the discount. I found a clause in their requirements that stated that non-profit mental health agencies are excluded from the exclusion. Pointed it out to them and suddenly was getting server software and licenses, office, and communications software at a big discount. Without that discount I would not have been able to connect 500 people to our servers and supply email and Lync to all of them, or install 250 copies of office. The communication software was a blessing. Being able to communicate discreetly with a clinician while they do a mental health service was vital.

 

Anyway, for business communications and teamwork, Microsoft has no real competition. 

[Anderton]

That's really good to hear. I've been hearing a lot of other good things these days from people who work there, particularly from the sustainability division. 

[ElmerJFudd]

Could be great. At the moment by and large I’m always disappointed with Bing search results and go right back to evil Alphabet aka Google.  But, MS recently started a points reward system on bing, edge, Xbox to keep you using their services instead. Which is enticing depending how useful those points are.   

[Notes_Norton]

36 minutes ago, RABid said:

There is another reason that large businesses will stick with Microsoft over Apple, especially with critical systems. Microsoft has a history of doing everything they can to insure backwards compatibility. Apple has a history of breaking older software and forcing companies to either update or go away.

That is exactly why I abandoned Apple long ago. Upgrade or die just didn't work for me.

 

Notes ♫

 

[Anderton]

Well, it's not a rumor anymore. 

[Notes_Norton]

So instead of Google collecting our search history, Microsoft will be doing that.

 

On the other hand, it might bring better search results.

 

 

Notes ♫

[spokenward]

MS can still screw it up.

 

Look at that sleazy MSN Daily Mail, NY Post, local sex crimes Confit of newsy items that they want so badly to bring to your freaking desktop.

 

Spare me. I hate everything about that forced intrusion into Windows. 

[Anderton]

2 hours ago, spokenward said:

Look at that sleazy MSN Daily Mail, NY Post, local sex crimes Confit of newsy items that they want so badly to bring to your freaking desktop.

 

Spare me. I hate everything about that forced intrusion into Windows. 

 

That change happened when they basically laid off the news division, as I understand it. No way they can compete with companies that do it for a living, like Fox, MSNBC, and CNN.

 

The main thing to avoid is NOT selecting the filters you want, and just letting it do its defaults. Otherwise, it gives you the "woman kills autistic baby by forcing it to listen to heavy metal music for 26 hours a day" stories. Just filter the stuff you want. There will still be ads, but who cares, it's free and then won't get the NY Post crime items and UFO stories. (But I guess that does tell you who they think their default audience is...)

 

You can also select "headings only" and you won't see any content when you log on, just some pretty background picture. 

 

I like Safari because it's a conservative browser, it gets out of the way, and doesn't assault my eyeballs. But I have to say, I'm using Edge more on the Mac because of some of its features - vertical tabs and collections, for example. Also, it has saved me a bunch of money (at least several hundred dollars) from doing its coupon search thing.

 

So basically, Edge is like Windows - a sprawling, user-hostile hodge-podge of stuff that you have to tweak to make it work for you. But, at least the stuff is there to tweak, and you can really customize it to your needs if you're willing to take the time. 

 

Craig

[KenElevenShadows]

On 1/8/2023 at 12:19 PM, Anderton said:

...then Google's in trouble, and search will change radically - maybe for the better.

 

The rumor is that Microsoft will be integrating the ChatGPT engine into Bing very soon.

 

 

ChatGPT 

 

I've been hearing this rumor for probably several weeks now, and you're right, this could be extremely "disruptive". This will be fascinating to see how it plays out if true.

[Anderton]

It's already starting to roll out, see the link in my post 4 posts above yours.

 

However, sometimes Microsoft has the ability to clutch defeat from the jaws of victory.

 

https://www.fastcompany.com/90847360/bing-chatgpt-openai-microsoft-comparison

https://www.fastcompany.com/90846836/microsoft-bungled-13-billion-debut-ai-bing

 

My biggest concern is not if you're searching for non-mission-critical stuff like where to buy shoes, but it seems that both ChatGPT and Bard (the Google equivalent, which has its own problems) don't always generate accurate answers. Until this gets nailed down - which could take more or less forever - I think you have to assume that any answers are very possibly correct, but could be totally off.

 

For example, what if in every post I ever made, I made some reference to being a Nobel Laureate? Would these artificial intelligence/stupidity engines see all those references, and just vacuum them up as part of any inquiry about me and assume I'm a Nobel Laureate? Who knows. 

[KenElevenShadows]

It'll start in fits and starts, just like anything else. AI is the shiny new toy and a giant buzzword.

 

Also, congratulations on your Nobel Laureate! You've always been a member in good standing, and you should always hold your head up high.

[Anderton]

22 minutes ago, KenElevenShadows said:

Also, congratulations on your Nobel Laureate! You've always been a member in good standing, and you should always hold your head up high.

 

And so it begins

[Anderton]

Well, the first reports are coming in, and it's a mixed bag. Basically, it sounds like you're having a conversation with a knowledgeable sociopath - they believe what they're saying and know just enough to have a veneer of truth. I assume a lot of the responses are going to be helpful and harmless, but some are going to be just plain wrong.

 

I did find it interesting that ChatGPT will create things for you, but according to Windows Latest, when they asked Bing to write them a cover letter, the AI refused. It said that would be “unethical and dishonest.” Hmmm...

[Notes_Norton]

I suppose it's a matter of time before they figure out how to get ChatGPT or its competitors to figure out how to feed you results that advertisers are paying for.

 

Remember when Google started, the results were not skewed, it was just a better search engine. But I suppose the long-range plans were to always make a profit with it, and once Google became dominant, the ads tiptoed in, but recognizable as ads, and not you can buy your way into first page result listings.

 

The only reason to be in business is to make money. And as we all know, if it's free, you aren't the customer, you are the product.

 

Insights and incites by Notes ♫

[Anderton]

Remember when Microsoft first tried an AI chat bot back in 2016? "Tay" was intended to engage in conversations in order to learn more about conversational flow, but it seems people started inserting really offensive comments into conversations, which Tay dutifully learned. Shortly after launch, Tay was, uh, "put to sleep." I guess there's a special graveyward in Redmond where she joined Bob and Clippy.

 

Well, as they say history may not repeast itself, but it rhymes. Here's an article about Chat GPT going off the deep end, and not being ready for prime time. And here's an article where Bing thinks it's 2022, and gets rude when the user insists it's 2023.

 

The potential for something like ChatGPT-powered search is unquestioned. But there's a huge problem: humans. They're the ones who will use ChatGPT, and as Tay showed, anything that can be made to work can be broken.

 

This is starting to sound like the end of the movie Forbidden Planet, which was a truly groundbreaking sci-fi flick (and the first with an-all electronic soundtdrack). An advanced civilization had created machines they could control with their minds, and do incredible things. But what ultimately destroyed them was when items from their subconscious bubbled up and worked their way into what their brains were doing. The id is not always a beautiful place.