Oh, Bing

Microsoft Bing is so bad that it feels like a parody of an Internet search service. Can AI possibly be good enough to turn things around?

I’d love to find out and tell you, but the software giant is up to its usual tricks. When I signed up for the new AI-powered Bing at bing.com/new, I was told that I was on a waitlist. But hold on! I could jump to the front of the line if I just did two simple things: Set “Microsoft defaults” on my PC and scan a QR code to install the Microsoft Bing app on my phone.

Are you f#$%ing kidding me?

For starters, “Microsoft defaults” is the behavior I call out in the Set Up Microsoft Edge Correctly chapter of the Windows 11 Field Guide: it’s designed to increase your usage of Microsoft online services, put your eyeballs in front of Microsoft advertising, compromise your privacy, and result in Microsoft tracking you online so it can show you more relevant ads.

And the Bing mobile ad? Is that a joke? Who uses a search app, let alone the weakest of the bunch? (And the new Bing isn’t available on mobile anyway: the preview is desktop-only.)

I guess I can wait.