The sky is blue, the earth orbits the sun, and nobody uses Bing. These were all infallible truths until recently. However, Microsoft took advantage of the massive rise in mainstream media attention to artificial intelligence. In early February 2023, the tech titan implemented AI features to its search engine alternative to Google. And now, Ars Technica reports Bing hit 100 million active users thanks to the power of AI.
Bing hit 100 million active users after Microsoft implemented AI features.
To be clear, Bing still doesn’t come close to holding a candle to Google’s dominance over the internet. According to StatCounter, Alphabet’s (Google’s parent company) search engine maintains around a 90% market share. And, Statista reports it has held that dominance since at least 2015. That continued dominance caused antitrust regulators worldwide to open investigations into Google (and other big tech firms).
However, Bing’s market share climbed slowly but steadily over the last few years. And in late 2022, Microsoft’s search engine grew to just under a 10% market share. “This is a surprisingly notable figure,” wrote Microsoft’s Yusuf Mehdi about crossing the 100 million active user threshold. “[A]nd yet we are fully aware we remain a small, low, single-digit share player. That said, it feels good to be at the dance!”
Microsoft is rolling out artificial intelligence features to the entire Windows ecosystem.
Unlike the online search engine department, Microsoft maintains a massive market share in the computer operating system sector. Though it has shrunk over the last decade, according to Statista, nearly 75% of the world’s desktop computers use Windows.
Microsoft’s newest operating system, Windows 11, features a fully AI-fueled Bing search engine integration with the taskbar. “We’re reimagining what I think of as an increasingly AI-powered Windows for the future,” Mehdi told The Verge. “[…] Today, the search box is used by over half a billion people on a regular basis.”
Beyond the search bar, Microsoft will also implement AI features into its Office applications in the near future.
