TechCrunch: Microsoft has launched its answer to Google’s AI-powered search experiences: Bing generative search. On the heels of a pilot in July, Bing generative search — albeit still under development — began rolling out to all U.S. users this morning. The easiest way to invoke it is by searching “Bing generative search” on Bing; Microsoft also said it is introducing an option to more easily trigger Bing generative search for “informational queries.” Underpinned by a mix of AI models, Bing generative search aggregates information from around the web to generate a summary in response to search queries. For example, when a user searches “What’s a spaghetti western?” Bing generative search will show a summary of the genre’s history and examples, along with links to sources. As with Google’s similar AI Overviews feature, there’s an option to dismiss AI-generated summaries for traditional search results from the search page. Bing generative search does more than just find an answer. “It understands the search query, reviews millions of sources of information, dynamically matches content, and generates search results in a new AI-generated layout to fulfill the intent of the user’s query more effectively,” Microsoft wrote in a blog post…
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Category Archives: Microsoft
How I Use Microsoft Word to Instantly Check Documents for Plagiarism
How to Geek: “Microsoft Word isn’t just for typing documents; it has a built-in feature called the Similarity Checker that checks your document plagiarism right from your word editor. This tool not only highlights potential plagiarism but also guides you in citing sources correctly. [This is a front line use case, and other applications are… Continue Reading
Slack, Teams, Google Chat: Is There Any Safe Place to Complain About Work Online?
WSJ via MSN: “Workers are getting too comfortable venting on their employers’ chat apps. We tend to forget that nothing we say there is private. Disney last week said it was quitting Slack, after a hacker gained access to an executive’s account and leaked millions of intraoffice messages. They included computer code, details about unreleased… Continue Reading
LinkedIn Is Training AI on User Data Before Updating Its Terms of Service
TechCrunch: “LinkedIn may have trained AI models on user data without updating its terms. LinkedIn users in the U.S. — but not the EU, EEA, or Switzerland, likely due to those regions’ data privacy rules — have an opt-out toggle in their settings screen disclosing that LinkedIn scrapes personal data to train “content creation AI… Continue Reading
Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, August 31, 2024
Via LLRX – Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, August 31, 2024 – Privacy and cybersecurity issues impact every aspect of our lives – home, work, travel, education, finance, health and medical records – to name but a few. On a weekly basis Pete Weiss highlights articles and information that focus on… Continue Reading
4 Reasons the Free Version of Microsoft 365 is Good Enough
How to Geek: “…While you require a Microsoft 365 subscription to use the desktop apps (e.g., Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook), the web versions are completely free. As long as you have a constant internet connection and are using a modern browser, you can access them without installing anything. Even though some advanced features found… Continue Reading
Microsoft Tweaks Fine Print To Warn Everyone Not To Take Its AI Seriously
The Register – “Microsoft is notifying users that its AI services should not be taken too seriously, echoing prior service-specific disclaimers – an update to the IT giant’s Service Agreement, which takes effect on September 30, 2024, Redmond has declared that its Assistive AI isn’t suitable for matters of consequence. “AI services are not designed,… Continue Reading
Most Adults are Not Confident They Can Tell Whether Information from AI Chatbots Is True or False
KFF: “…Most U.S. adults are not confident that they can tell what is true versus what is false when it comes to information from AI chatbots, such as Chat-GPT and Microsoft Copilot. Fewer than half say they are either “very confident” (9%) or “somewhat confident” (33%) that they can tell the difference between true and… Continue Reading
Study finds 94% of business spreadsheets have critical errors
PHYS.org – A recent study published in the journal Frontiers of Computer Science “reveals that 94% of spreadsheets used in business decision-making contain errors, highlighting significant risks of financial and operational mistakes. Phys.org reports: Errors in spreadsheets can lead to poor decisions, resulting in financial losses, pricing mistakes, and operational problems in fields like health… Continue Reading
FTC Outlines Remedy Concerns in Amicus Brief After Jury Finds Google Illegally Monopolized App Store
“The Federal Trade Commission filed an amicus brief in a case brought by online video game maker Epic Games Inc. against Google LLC’s app store, which outlines how the court should consider potential remedies when determining effective relief to restore competition after Google was found liable for illegal monopolization. The FTC filed its amicus brief… Continue Reading
You can upgrade your old PC to Windows 11
ZDNET – even if Microsoft says it’s ‘incompatible’ here’s how: “On October 14, 2025, Microsoft will stop delivering security updates to your Windows 10 PC unless you’re willing to pay an exorbitant price to join the Extended Security Updates program. If you try to upgrade to Windows 11 on a PC over a few years… Continue Reading
‘Google Is a Monopolist’ in Online Search, Ruling Says
The New York Times [unpaywalled]: “Google acted illegally to maintain a monopoly in online search, a federal judge ruled on Monday, a landmark decision that strikes at the power of tech giants in the modern internet era and that may fundamentally alter the way they do business. Judge Amit P. Mehta of U.S. District Court… Continue Reading
