Microsoft is introducing new AI-powered shopping features on its Bing search engine and Edge browser. The company is rolling out AI-generated Buying Guides across Bing and Edge, review summaries, as well as a new Price Match feature in the US.
If many Edge users may feel that shopping features are just adding more bloat to what used to be a streamlined version of Chrome, Microsoft claims that its efforts are making a big difference for consumers. “Microsoft Edge has offered $3.7 billion in savings to shoppers worldwide in the last year thanks to built-in shopping features like Coupons, Cashback, Price History, and Price Comparison. Plus, US shoppers can save an average of $400 per year with Microsoft Edge,” the company said today.
Microsoft’s new AI-generated Buying Guides can be accessed from the Edge sidebar and the Bing chatbot. Users can get started by typing what they want to purchase in the search box and Microsoft’s AI will research relevant products and summarize information about them in a smart compare table. This actually sounds quite useful.
An AI-powered Buying Guide on Bing.
When checking a product online, Edge users will also be able to ask the Bing chatbot in the sidebar to summarize user reviews. At its Build developer conference last month, Microsoft announced a similar feature for app reviews on the Microsoft Store on Windows 11.
Lastly, Microsoft will soon start rolling out a Price Match feature in Bing and Edge in the US. It will be able to monitor an item’s price over time (even after completing a purchase) and assist users in requesting a match if it drops. “We’ve partnered with top US retailers with existing price match policies and will be adding more over time,” Microsoft said today.
These new AI-powered features in Bing and Edge will roll out gradually to all users. Again, Buying Guides in Bing (not Edge) and Price Match are rolling out first in the US.