Yahoo Finance Microsoft Tries Putting Advertising in Bing Chat Search Engine
(Bloomberg) -- Microsoft Corp. is selling advertising in responses given by its Bing chat search engine, highlighting a potential revenue model for an artificial intelligence tool the company says has attracted 100 million average daily users.
Most Read from Bloomberg
China’s Yuan Replaces Dollar as Most Traded Currency in Russia
Billionaire Blocked From His New Palace Blasts ‘Socialist’ India
“We recently met with some of our partners to begin exploring ideas and to get feedback on how we can continue to distribute content in a way that is meaningful in traffic and revenue for our partners,” Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft chief marketing officer, said Wednesday in a blog post. “These conversations are early days but we’re hearing positive feedback as we look for opportunities to maximize these new experiences for the entire ecosystem.”
Microsoft’s new Bing builds on the traditional internet search experience with new features like chatbots that answer questions. Microsoft can sell sponsorships embedded in chat responses, similar to sponsored search content that appears on search engines like Alphabet Inc.’s Google.
For example, asking Bing, “How do I buy a house in Oakland, CA?” produces a response that may include a tiny advertising link. Tapping that link will take you to the advertiser’s site.
A Microsoft representative declined to comment further on the company’s plans.
Digital ad spending is expected to grow more than 10% this year to $627 billion, according to analyst firm Insider Intelligence.
--With assistance from Rachel Metz.
Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek
US and Europe Wrangle Over Green Subsidies to Avoid a Trade War
Paris’s Air Taxi Stations Could Be Ready Before the Taxis Are
©2023 Bloomberg L.P.
