While A.I.’s integration into Microsoft’s search engine hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing so far, the company is doubling down on its commitment to the technology. Microsoft has rolled out a new update to Windows 11 that will make it easier for people to initiate chats with its (sometimes creepy) Bing chatbot, promoting the feature on the operating system’s taskbar. The link will be located right next to the Start button on the lower left corner of the screen.
To take advantage of the integration, however, users must have already received access to the technology, which currently has a waiting list.
“We’ve been inspired by people’s stories of how they are using the new Bing. For example, a first-generation grad student from a developing country shared how the new Bing gives him access to information and resources that were previously inaccessible and difficult to find,” said chief product officer Panos Panay in a blog post. “Soon hundreds of millions of Windows 11 users can get access to this incredible new technology to search, chat, answer questions, and generate content from right on their Windows taskbar.”
Always-on integration into Windows 11 could help Bing grow its audience, especially with the curiosity factor surrounding the Bing chatbot. Google holds a commanding share of the search market, but Windows is the world’s biggest operating system.
The hiccup is that people have been very slow to upgrade to Windows 11 so far. Despite its more advanced age, Windows 10 is a much more popular OS for users, with an install base of more than 60%. Windows 11, despite good reviews, has only achieved a user base of roughly 20%.
That number could grow in the coming months, though: Microsoft ended direct sales of Windows 10 on Jan. 31.
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