Shubham Sawarkar
Microsoft’s Bing AI chatbot is expanding its reach, with new integrations announced for the SwiftKey keyboard app, Skype group chats, and Microsoft’s Start app. While the Skype integration was previously available in preview, it now only requires one member to have access to talk to Bing in group chats. The Start app integration combines personalized news, search, and weather, while the SwiftKey integration is particularly interesting.
Related: SwiftKey users can now access Bing chatbot in any app
The Bing chatbot in SwiftKey has three functions: Search, Chat, and Tone. The first two are straightforward, allowing users to search the web or chat with Bing if they have questions. However, the third function is perhaps the most intriguing. The Tone feature allows Bing to act as an editor, rewording anything you write to fit a desired tone.
As Microsoft explains, the Tone feature is perfect for those who struggle with formal language in work emails or are learning a new language and need help with word choice nuances. The feature provides tones that make your words sound more professional, casual, polite, or concise enough for a social post. This is similar to how Microsoft sees its Copilot AI operating in Office documents.
While integrating AI with a keyboard is not a new idea, it is part of a growing trend in which AI becomes an intermediary for communication. Although it remains to be seen how popular these apps will be, Microsoft sees these integrations as opportunities to insert itself into our technological lives, taking on rivals such as Google and Apple.
It is also worth noting that this update is the first for SwiftKey on iOS in a long time. Microsoft had previously planned to discontinue the app, but now it appears that Bing has given it a second chance at achieving some popularity.
