Microsoft Intensifies Competition with ChatGPT

Rebranding and new goals

Microsoft, the world's leading software company, has decided to end the Bing Chat brand just a year after integrating a ChatGPT-like interface into its search results. The new name, Copilot, will be applied not only to the Bing service but also to the Microsoft Edge browser and Windows 11 operating system.

change chat name to copilot microsoft increase competition with chatgpt image 1 — Microsoft's AI chatbot service Bing Chat has officially been rebranded as Copilot.

Microsoft initially aimed to compete with Google in the search space, but according to The Verge, their focus has shifted to OpenAI's ChatGPT. This comes just days after OpenAI announced that 100 million people are using ChatGPT every week.

Copilot: Options for both consumers and businesses

Microsoft doesn't just want Copilot to be a consumer-facing option, it wants it to be an attractive option for businesses as well. "Bing Chat and Bing Chat Enterprise will now simply be Copilot," said Colette Stallbaumer, General Manager of Microsoft 365. This clearly shows Microsoft's intention to make Copilot a comprehensive solution that serves both consumers and businesses.

Free and paid options for users

Microsoft is introducing Copilot as a free service, while the business version, Copilot for Microsoft 365, will be a paid option. Business users will sign in with an Entra ID, while consumers will simply need to use a Microsoft account.

Official support and competitive strategy

Copilot is officially supported on Microsoft Edge or Chrome running on Windows or macOS. The rebranding from Bing Chat to Copilot is more than just a rebranding change, it's part of a larger strategy from Microsoft. The company wants Copilot to be a standalone experience, independent of Bing, and compete directly with ChatGPT.

Direct challenges and future prospects

Despite investing a lot of effort into implementing artificial intelligence into its search engine, Microsoft realized that competing with Google was not easy. With Google's search market share still holding over 91% after 10 months of launching the new Bing Chat, they decided to turn their attention to competing directly with ChatGPT, hoping to bring more benefits in the future.

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