Enhance Your Chat Experience with Microsoft Bing and Edge Plugins

Enhance Your Chat Experience with Microsoft Bing and Edge Plugins

Table of Contents:

1. Introduction
2. The Power of Bing Chat and Co-Pilots
3. Participating in the AI Innovation Wave
4. The Plugin Model: A Closer Look 4.1. Creating a Plugin Manifest 4.2. Defining an OpenAPI Specification
5. Enabling Plugins in Bing Chat
6. Submitting and Reviewing Plugins
7. Discovering and Adding Plugins
8. Using Plugins in Bing Chat
9. Examples of Plugin Usage 9.1. Booking a Restaurant 9.2. Finding a Recipe 9.3. Creating a Shopping List
10. Conclusion

Introduction

In recent months, Bing Chat has witnessed a surge in popularity, with over 500 million chats and 100 million daily users. This surge can be attributed to the integration of large language models that provide users with quick answers and enhance their creativity. Microsoft has been consistently innovating in the field of artificial intelligence, with initiatives like the co-pilot system in Microsoft 365 and improvements to the Bing Chat experience. To encourage developers to participate in this wave of innovation, Microsoft has introduced plugins for Bing Chat and other co-pilots across its ecosystem.

The Power of Bing Chat and Co-Pilots

Bing Chat has revolutionized the way users Interact with search by allowing them to have conversational experiences. This has enabled users to get straight to the answers they need while supercharging their creativity. With over 500 million chats and 100 million daily users, Bing Chat has become an integral part of the search experience. Going beyond Bing Chat, Microsoft has introduced the co-pilot system in Microsoft 365, which further enhances productivity by providing AI-powered assistance.

Participating in the AI Innovation Wave

Developers now have the opportunity to participate in Microsoft's AI innovation wave by creating plugins for Bing Chat and other co-pilots. Plugins allow developers to teach a language model how to interact with their service by utilizing their new or existing API endpoints. This augmentation of capabilities opens up new possibilities for users to connect with various services and accomplish their tasks seamlessly.

The Plugin Model: A Closer Look

To enable plugins, developers need to Create a plugin manifest and define an OpenAPI specification. The plugin manifest provides metadata to make the plugin discoverable, while the OpenAPI specification documents how the API works. By following the OpenAI plugin model, Microsoft ensures compatibility across ChatGPT, Bing Chat, and the Microsoft co-pilot system. Developers only need to provide an OpenAPI specification and a manifest file to make their plugins accessible to a wide range of users.

Creating a Plugin Manifest

The plugin manifest plays a crucial role in making the plugin discoverable to users. It includes details like the name of the plugin, a brief description, necessary APIs, and metadata like icons. Providing a concise and descriptive description for humans and models helps users find and engage with the plugin naturally in conversations.

Defining an OpenAPI Specification

Developers need to define an OpenAPI specification that documents their API endpoints. This specification is a standard JSON or YAML document that contains metadata about the APIs exposed. Developers can selectively expose specific functionalities and describe each API with natural language in a concise yet informative manner. They can also specify parameter types, requirements, and limitations to guide the model's interactions with the plugin.

Enabling Plugins in Bing Chat

Once the plugin manifest and OpenAPI specification are ready, developers can submit their plugins to Bing Chat and the co-pilot system for review and approval. Microsoft is working on providing a streamlined process for developers to submit their plugins directly into the catalog. Once approved, users can discover and add the plugins to their Bing Chat experience through the new sidebar in Microsoft Edge.

Submitting and Reviewing Plugins

Microsoft is committed to making the plugin submission and review process user-friendly for developers. Soon, developers will have access to a catalog where they can publish their plugins for Bing Chat. The catalog review process ensures that plugins meet the necessary standards and offer valuable functionalities to users. Once approved, the plugins become available for users to discover and add to Bing Chat.

Discovering and Adding Plugins

Users can easily discover and add plugins to Bing Chat through the enhanced sidebar experience in Microsoft Edge. The sidebar acts as a central place to find add-ons, including chat plugins. Users can explore a feed of recommended experiences from third-party developers, providing a seamless integration of plugins into their browsing and chat experiences. With a simple click, users can add the plugins to their Bing Chat account across multiple devices.

Using Plugins in Bing Chat

Once a plugin is added, users can utilize its capabilities in their Bing Chat conversations. Plugins automatically come into play when the AI model determines their relevance to user queries or tasks. The plugin suggestions are presented alongside search results, providing users with easy access to Relevant information and actions. The model highlights the plugin that was used, reinforcing its contribution to the conversation.

Examples of Plugin Usage

To illustrate the practical use of plugins, let's explore a few examples. In the first Scenario, a user wants to book a restaurant. By initiating a conversation with Bing Chat, the user can search for restaurants with specific requirements such as a view. Bing Chat's model automatically suggests relevant restaurants using the OpenTable plugin and provides short descriptions for each option. Additionally, the plugin assists the user in checking availability and booking a table seamlessly.

In another example, a user is searching for a recipe. By asking Bing Chat to find an easy recipe for a specific dish, the model suggests multiple options. When the user clicks on a recipe, Bing Chat in the Edge sidebar picks up the ingredients from the webpage and generates a shopping list using the Instacart plugin. The user can easily customize the list and then submit it to Instacart for delivery.

Conclusion

Microsoft's incorporation of plugins in Bing Chat and the co-pilot system creates endless possibilities for developers to enhance the user experience. By leveraging the plugin model, developers can seamlessly integrate their services, APIs, and functionalities, providing users with a comprehensive and dynamic chat experience. With the ability to teach language models, developers can augment co-pilots and assist users in accomplishing tasks efficiently. Microsoft's commitment to an open and compatible ecosystem ensures that developers' investments in plugins reach a wide range of users, improving productivity and engagement.

Highlights:

• Bing Chat has seen tremendous interest with over 500 million chats and 100 million daily users.
• Microsoft offers the plugin model to enable developers to teach language models how to interact with their APIs.
• Plugins can be seamlessly integrated into Bing Chat, Microsoft co-pilots, and ChatGPT.
• Creating a plugin manifest and defining an OpenAPI specification are the necessary steps to enable plugins.
• Microsoft provides a streamlined process for developers to submit and review their plugins in the catalog.
• Users can discover and add plugins through the enhanced sidebar experience in Microsoft Edge.
• Plugins enhance the chat experience by providing functionalities like booking restaurants, finding recipes, and generating shopping lists.

FAQ:

Q: How can developers participate in Microsoft's AI innovation wave? A: Developers can create plugins for Bing Chat and other co-pilots using their new or existing APIs.

Q: What is required to enable a plugin in Bing Chat? A: Developers need to create a plugin manifest and define an OpenAPI specification documenting their API endpoints.

Q: Can plugins be used in Microsoft co-pilot offerings and ChatGPT? A: Yes, the plugin model is fully compatible across ChatGPT, Bing Chat, and Microsoft's commercial and consumer co-pilot offerings.

Q: How can users discover and add plugins to Bing Chat? A: Users can find and add plugins through the enhanced sidebar experience in Microsoft Edge, which serves as a central hub for add-ons.

Q: What are some examples of plugin usage? A: Examples include booking a restaurant, finding a recipe, and generating a shopping list seamlessly within Bing Chat.