Microsoft Reveals Plans to Monetize Bing Chatbot with Ads

Microsoft’s Bing chatbot is now showing ads, as reported by users who have seen the ads within the chatbot experience. According to the Bing blog, Microsoft Corporate VP for Search and Devices, Yusuf Mehdi, confirms that the company is experimenting with putting ads in Bing’s chat experience. This development is not surprising, considering the chatbot has amassed over 100 million daily active users, presenting a new opportunity for advertisers.

Current ad format

The ads that are currently showing up in Bing’s chatbot experience are in the form of linked citations, with additional links available in a “Learn More” section below Bing’s response. The GPT-4-powered chatbot embeds relevant ad links in responses to users’ questions, making the ads more targeted and effective. However, not all users are seeing the ads yet, as they are still being tested.

Future ad format

Microsoft is looking into embedding more ads into the Bing experience, with plans to launch an experience where hovering over an advertiser’s link will display more links from their website. This will help drive more traffic to their site, increasing their chances of making a sale. Additionally, the company is exploring the idea of adding rich captions from Start personalized news feed publishers beside the AI chatbot’s responses.

Monetizing Bing Chatbot

Monetizing Bing’s chatbot is an expected development, and Microsoft is planning to strike while the iron is hot. The chatbot has amassed more than 100 million daily active users, and one-third of them are new to Bing. This presents a significant opportunity for advertisers, and Microsoft is determined to capitalize on it.

Conclusion

Microsoft’s decision to monetize its Bing chatbot with ads was expected. The chatbot has proven to be a significant success, and with the number of daily active users continuing to grow, it’s a perfect platform for advertising. As Microsoft continues to experiment with different ad formats, it will be interesting to see how advertisers will take advantage of this new opportunity.