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Microsoft's AI chatbot, Bing Chat, renamed as standalone brand "Copilot," taking aim at ChatGPT.

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The Verge reported that Microsoft's AI chatbot Bing Chat will be rebranded as "Copilot" and positioned as the top choice for consumers and businesses, aiming for a more direct competition with ChatGPT. On the other hand, OpenAI is facing a surge in users and has had to temporarily pause ChatGPT Plus user registrations.

Bing Chat Rebranded as "Microsoft Copilot"

After months of development, Microsoft's Bing Chat was officially renamed as "Copilot" yesterday, serving as the main brand for its artificial intelligence efforts and emphasizing its competition with ChatGPT:

To simplify the user experience and make Copilot more accessible to everyone, Bing Chat and Bing Chat for Enterprise are now simply rebranded as Microsoft Copilot.

Previously, Bing Chat was introduced earlier this year amidst the AI boom as part of its Bing search engine, symbolizing its competition with the search engine giant Google. The debut of Copilot was in September this year, marking a shift in Microsoft's focus from search engines to the field of artificial intelligence with Copilot replacing the original Bing Chat.

Microsoft CMO: Copilot Now an Independent Brand

It is reported that Copilot will be available in both a free version and a paid version included in Microsoft 365. The free version can be used on Microsoft Edge, Bing, Chrome, Windows 11, and macOS, with its own dedicated domain similar to ChatGPT.

Enterprise users can log in to Copilot with Entra ID, while consumers can access the free version of Copilot through their Microsoft accounts.

Regarding its features, users will be able to control their desktops through Copilot via voice or text commands, including organizing windows, switching to dark mode, launching specific Spotify playlists, and even integrating with native apps like Paint and Photos to enhance work efficiency.

Microsoft CMO Caitlin Roulston emphasized that Copilot has now become an independent brand and experience, no longer requiring Bing for use:

Nevertheless, Bing remains a well-known brand and technology that powers many Copilot experiences while continuing to be a leader in the search industry.

However, in terms of browser market share, despite Bing Chat, based on the Bing browser, being launched for over 10 months, it seems to have not generated higher traffic.

StatCounter data shows that the search engine giant Google still holds over 91% market share, while Bing is around 3%.

OpenAI: Surge in Usage Leads to Pause in ChatGPT Plus Registrations

On the other hand, OpenAI's competitor, DevDay, concluded last week, and CEO Sam Altman announced on Twitter yesterday that due to a surge in usage post-event, affecting the experience of other users, the company has paused new user registrations for the paid version of ChatGPT Plus.

With the launch of ChatGPT in the past year, various tech companies have entered the AI field. Despite its impressive 180 million users, it faces fierce competition from Google's Bard, xAI's Grok, and Microsoft's Copilot mentioned above.