In February, Microsoft pushed out full-sized ads for its Edge web browser when people used Edge to download Google's Chrome browser. Now, Microsoft seems to be back to its old tricks, but with a new method.
The Verge reports that, when its reporters in different parts of the US, and even outside the US, typed in "Chrome" in the Microsoft Edge web browser, it instead generated what looked like a Bing Chat AI answer. However, it wasn't an answer about Chrome; it was an ad about Bing search, with the headline “Bing: The Search Engine That Does More Than Just Search.”
Obviously, Microsoft decided to put in an ad for Bing as an AI search answer instead of giving an honest search result when using Edge to find info about "Chrome". When The Verge asked about this blatant ad masquerading (poorly) as an AI chat search result, Microsoft product marketing director Jason Fischel offered up this initial response:
We often experiment with new features, UX, and behaviors to test, learn, and improve experiences for our customers. These tests are often brief and do not necessarily represent what is ultimately or broadly provided to customers.
A few minutes after The Verge first reported on this "experiment" Fishel sent back another response, indicating Microsoft had removed this ad, stating, “The experience is no longer flighting.”
While this particular interaction with Bing search might have been shut down, it does show Microsoft continues to try to push out ads for Bing in ways that look and feel like the company is desperate to promote Bing search in any way possible.
It remains to be seen if Microsoft has learned its lesson this time or if it will try once again to create ads for its products by seemingly any means necessary.
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