Microsoft is creating a new AI-based search feature for Bing called “Copilot Search.” Instead of showing the usual blue links, this feature will present search results as summaries generated by AI.
This change follows the earlier addition of AI search summaries through Microsoft’s Copilot technology. It is similar to what Google is testing with its own AI Mode for search. The Copilot Search mode will show a summary of what the user is searching for right on the page, including links to sources as well as to image and video searches.
The interface is simplified and doesn’t show traditional web links, but users can still access them through other options. Microsoft has confirmed they are testing this feature but hasn’t shared when it will be available more widely. So if you can’t use it, it’s because you don’t have access to it yet.
While Google’s AI mode is not available to everyone, the current search is pretty easy to beat. Google’s AI in search feels so intrusive and takes up so much of the page. It does have easy to access links, but the links feel like a secondary part of it, so it still feels like maybe it’s not as accurate as it could be. I still see incorrect information on Google AI from time to time, so I have difficulty trusting it.
Copilot’s current AI in search is much cleaner and shows the sites from which the information came directly under the result. To me, it feels a lot easier to trust. Copilot Search, on the other hand, feels like it’s missing a lot of the interface.
The new design feels like using a chatbot without a menu or interface. The best way I can describe it is that all the words feel overbearing and there’s too much white space all over. The search just looks like a page with text, which does the job but is hard to want to use more than once. While the design of Copilot Search is quite similar to Google’s AI Overviews, it is yet another case where Microsoft is trying to sell users on Copilot.
It’s clear that Copilot Search is trying to combine regular search with the chat-like experience of Copilot, trying to compete with popular AI chatbots like ChatGPT. Instead of showing a list of blue links you usually see in search engines, it gives AI-generated summaries of answers. At the bottom of these summaries, you’ll find citations to check the sources. Some answers even include direct links to the websites for more details if you want to explore further.
This new style is similar to other AI search engines like Perplexity, but Perplexity is a lot better overall in my opinion. It has a menu and things that AIs should have to make it feel welcoming.
My main issue with this may be that Microsoft keeps trying to implement Copilot into everything, and it is starting to feel like it’s too much. I can’t be the only user who groans whenever they hear about Copilot in another application. It’s almost as if Microsoft spent too much money on AI and is trying to justify it by adding it wherever it can, even if it doesn’t necessarily mesh or fit well.
The update is still being tested, which means we should see big improvements in how accurately and quickly it works before it becomes more widely available. My biggest concerns may likely be solved before a wide release, so that’s no reason not to try it if you gain access to it. Just keep in mind that it likely won’t blow you away or be completely unprecedented. Overall, it’s hard to see why this is better than a regular search engine with AI at the top of every search result.
Source: 9to5Google, WindowsLatest
