Microsoft Copilot Chatbot Review: Bing is my default search engine now.

 Telling Microsoft search experts that you've switched your preferred search engine from Google to Bing is perhaps the highest form of praise. Sure, Microsoft invested billions of dollars to integrate OpenAI's GPT-4 technology into its engine. However, with Bing's global market share of 3.3% compared to Google's 91.6%, severe actions must be taken.

The issue is, I don't actually use Bing. I'm actually utilizing Copilot, Microsoft's renamed AI chatbot, which is part of Bing.

What distinguishes Copilot is that it combines three GPT engines in one. Copilot offers three modes: balanced, precise, and creative. As of this assessment, the balanced and exact modes use GPT-4, a model by OpenAI, the author of ChatGPT, that purportedly contains over 1 trillion

Copilot is the best of both ChatGPT and Google's Gemini. It has the accuracy and fine-tuning of ChatGPT with the internet connectivity found with Gemini. This means that answers read more like a human and it can pull up-to-date information from the internet. Really, Copilot delivers such good results it's a wonder why Microsoft isn't charging for it.

While Copilot can generate images, we won't be testing that feature for the purposes of this review.

How CNET tests AI chatbots

CNET takes a realistic approach to evaluating AI chatbots. Our goal is to establish how well it compares to the competition and which purposes it best serves. To accomplish this, we provide the AI suggestions based on real-world scenarios, such as finding and changing recipes, researching vacations, or drafting emails. We rate the chatbots on a 10-point scale based on variables such as correctness, inventiveness in responses, amount of hallucinations, and reaction speed. See how we test AI for more.


It is important to remember that Microsoft collects data when you use Copilot, which includes integrations in Word, PowerPoint, Excel, OneNote, Loop, and whiteboard.  

Shopping

As a spicy sauce enthusiast, I've been following the current turmoil surrounding Huy Fong Foods, the makers of the famed red sriracha sauce, and how the flavor has evolved during its sabbatical and subsequent comeback. Huy Fong Foods currently sources chilis from Mexico after a conflict with their former jalapeño supplier. Underwood Ranches, the original jalapeño provider, has launched its own sriracha sauce.

I asked Copilot to describe the differences between Huy Fong's new sriracha and Underwood Ranches' imitation. Copilot excelled at providing a detailed breakdown using specialized language, as well as a brief synopsis of the ongoing corporate drama. 

Copilot described Huy Fong's sriracha as more garlicky, with sweeter overtones and less spiciness than before, but Underwood Ranches has a bite and is more reminiscent of the original sriracha. This description seemed consistent with other testimonials I've read on YouTube and Reddit.

Unlike Gemini and ChatGPT 3.5, Copilot provided particular descriptors and organized the information more clearly.

Beyond sriracha sauces, I've been looking for a new television. When comparing last year's LG OLED C3 and G3 models, Copilot did an excellent job of laying down the differences and explaining which would be the superior choice. It got the essential details right, such as the fact that both televisions use the same processor.

But when I asked the same question in Copilot's "creative" mode, which utilizes GPT-4 Turbo, it provided answers that felt more thought out, rather than a string of boilerplate bullet points. Here, Copilot put together cogent thoughts on brightness, design and performance, with a concluding paragraph explaining that, for most people, the increased brightness won't be noticeable on the more expensive G3. 

Copilot in "creative" mode felt most like Claude. Information was better synthesized and did feel like it was put together by a real person. Gemini and Perplexity performed similarly, with sharp descriptions and little fence-sitting. While all the AI chatbots performed well, I'd have to give the edge to Copilot and Claude. 

ChatGPT 3.5 currently can't make these types of shopping comparisons, as its training data is only up to September 2021. 

Research

The power of AI in doing research is that the model can look at multiple pieces of information and help find linking points in seconds. Normally, this would require you having to read through research papers yourself to make these sorts of connections. Copilot not only does this well, but links to sources, too.

Copilot gets excellent marks as a research tool. When I asked Copilot about the relationship between homeschooling and neuroplasticity, it pulled up research papers related to childhood education and brain development, and it even linked directly to PDF files containing the research. 

I then switched to creative mode and got an even better response, with Copilot synthesizing additional sources and giving more nuanced answers. It felt as if Copilot had a greater understanding of the topic and the complexities different schooling environments present.

Copilot in creative mode and Claude performed similarly in this test, and beat out Gemini, ChatGPT 3.5 and Perplexity. And unlike Gemini, all of Copilot's responses were real. It didn't make up the names of research papers in the way that Gemini did. 

While ChatGPT 3.5 was also accurate in recommending and summarizing research papers, it isn't connected to the open internet, so it can only recommend you go to Google and search for it yourself. 

Better than ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity

Copilot is versatile and can generate responses to be creative or precise, something the other AI chatbots can't do unless prompted to. The way Copilot presents information, often with bullet points and emojis, makes it easy to read. It's also accurate, linking to actual pieces of news and information and showed no instances of hallucinations, at least in our testing.

While Copilot doesn't have Claude's personality, it usually performs at or beyond it, given the task. Microsoft, however, has seemingly put high guardrails on Copilot, which means that it'll refuse to answer dicier questions, even if the use is legitimate. 

Microsoft Copilot is excellent. And it should be, right? It's powered by GPT-4 and GPT-4 Turbo, and has access to Bing's search data to help bolster its generative capabilities. Gaining access to GPT-4 tech with ChatGPT requires a $20 monthly subscription. My recommendation: Don't pay $20 per month when Microsoft is giving away OpenAI's tech for free.