Microsoft, earlier in the year, made a significant push into the AI arena through the integration of a ChatGPT inspired interface into its Bing search results. Recently, Microsoft has shifted gears, rebranding Bing Chat to Copilot, a chat interface prevalent in Bing, Microsoft Edge, and Windows 11.
- New Indentity: Bing Chat and Bing Chat Enterprise have been unified under the new brand name, Copilot, as announced by Colette Stallbaumer, Microsoft 365’s general manager. The rebranding comes in the wake of Microsoft selecting Copilot as its brand name for the chatbot inside Windows 11.
- Access: Copilot is now available as a free AI chatbot version, with a paid version called Copilot for Microsoft 365. It can be accessed freely on Bing and Windows, and now has a dedicated domain at copilot.microsoft.com, akin to ChatGPT.
- Moving away from Google: Interestingly, Microsoft initially launched its AI-driven chatbot as an “AI-powered copilot for the web” within Bing, intending to gain a competitive edge over Google. The rebranding suggests a shift towards a more standalone experience, moving away from Bing, despite the initial positioning of Bing as a critical component of its AI strategy.
As of now, it’s unclear whether Microsoft’s AI search push has been successful. Google still remains dominant in the market, with over 91% of market share, according to StatCounter. With Copilot, Microsoft appears to be charting a new path in its AI ambitions.
