Microsoft announces changes in new Bing search engine’s chat, based on feedback from early previewers. The company has acknowledged that long chat sessions can cause confusion to the underlying chat model. To address this issue, Microsoft has implemented some changes to help focus the chat sessions.
The new changes will cap the chat experience at 50 chat turns per day and 5 chat turns per session. A turn is defined as a conversation exchange containing both a user question and a reply from Bing. Microsoft’s data has shown that the majority of users find the answers they are looking for within 5 turns, and only 1% of chat conversations have 50 or more messages.
“Starting today, the chat experience will be capped at 50 chat turns per day and 5 chat turns per session. A turn is a conversation exchange which contains both a user question and a reply from Bing.”
Once a chat session hits 5 turns, users will be prompted to start a new topic. At the end of each chat session, context needs to be cleared so the model won’t get confused. Users can click on the broom icon to the left of the search box for a fresh start.
“Our data has shown that the vast majority of you find the answers you’re looking for within 5 turns and that only ~1% of chat conversations have 50+ messages. After a chat session hits 5 turns, you will be prompted to start a new topic. At the end of each chat session, context needs to be cleared so the model won’t get confused. Just click on the broom icon to the left of the search box for a fresh start,” the update says.
Microsoft has also stated that it will explore expanding the caps on chat sessions to further enhance search and discovery experiences based on feedback from users.
It’s clear that Microsoft is focused on creating an improved Bing experience for users, and user feedback is crucial in achieving this goal. If you’re a Bing user, be sure to continue sending your thoughts and ideas to Microsoft for the ongoing development of the platform.