Traditional search vs. Copilot

Update January 23, 2024: At Microsoft, we are always updating and testing features to offer our users the best possible experiences as we experiment with new approaches to functionality. To improve the user experience and streamline our tools that empower creativity, Bing Image Creator is now Designer and Bing Chat is now Copilot. Create wow-worthy images with your words and AI with Designer, and try Copilot, your AI-powered search assistant for the web.

Searching the web can be a tedious and time-consuming process. Luckily, Copilot‘s built-in, AI-powered search makes finding answers to your questions faster and easier. See how you can use Copilot as your AI-powered search tool for uncomplicated web browsing.

How is Copilot’s AI-powered search different from traditional keyword searching?

When you search the web using a traditional search engine, you have to type in keywords, browse through dozens of pages of results, and hope that you find what you’re looking for. Sometimes, you might not even know what keywords to use or how to phrase your query. You might end up with irrelevant information if you don’t use the right keywords, or you might have to sift through paid advertisements before you can get to the organic content that you seek.

That’s why Copilot is a game-changer. You can use Copilot for AI-powered search that lets you chat just like you would with a friend. Ask Copilot any question or explore any topic, and it will respond with helpful and engaging written answers, suggestions, and content ranging from reviews and maps to images and video. Copilot will even provide you with the websites where it got its information, so you can do further research on your own if you’d like.

Intent and context

Copilot is easier to use than traditional web searching because it understands your intent and context. It can handle complex and conversational queries, such as “Who is the president of France, and what is his net worth?” or “Show me some recipes for vegan lasagna and how to make them.” With traditional keyword searching, you might need to search the web using multiple queries in order to get an answer to your two-part questions, but Copilot can answer your multi-faceted questions in one simple response.

Ongoing conversation

Copilot can follow up on your previous questions and provide additional information. With a traditional search, you have to read each search engine result to try to find the answer to your question. Then you need to start a new search when you have more questions. But with Copilot, you get a near-instant, straightforward, AI-generated answer to your question. If you need something more or different, continue the conversation right there in the chat! Ask for additional info, keep honing your request by adding in specifics, or tell Copilot to try again.

Summarizing key ideas

Copilot is also great at breaking down information. With traditional keyword searching, you’re left on your own to interpret and understand information. But when you use Copilot for AI-powered search, you can ask it to further explain concepts in a simpler, easier way. For example, if you’re having trouble understanding quantum physics, you can ask Copilot, “Can you explain quantum physics in the simplest terms and provide real-life examples?” You can even ask Copilot to summarize a specific online article for you, which you can’t do with a traditional online search.

Customized responses

Copilot allows you to customize the way you receive information, which isn’t possible with traditional keyword searching. When you start a new chat, choose your preferred Copilot conversation style: creative, precise, or balanced. You can also tell Copilot how long you want its answer to be and the format, such as asking for a list, poem, or table.

Copilot takes all the functionality of a traditional web search and adds AI search engine tools to give you better, more thorough results in the formats you want. It can help you discover new things, learn new skills, and have fun along the way as you interact with conversational AI. Try Copilot today to experience the future of search.