Bing AI Chat — now officially called Microsoft Copilot — has been around for over two years, and most people still don’t use it. That’s a shame, because it’s quietly become one of the most capable AI assistants available, and it’s free.
What Bing AI Chat Actually Is Now
Let’s clear up the naming confusion first. Microsoft launched “Bing Chat” in early 2023, powered by GPT-4. Then they renamed it to “Microsoft Copilot.” Then they integrated it into Windows, Edge, Microsoft 365, and basically everywhere. The underlying technology is the same: a conversational AI powered by OpenAI’s models with web search built in.
The key differentiator from ChatGPT: Copilot automatically searches the web for current information and provides cited sources for every response. You don’t have to wonder where the information came from — it tells you, with links.
What It Does Well
Real-time web research. Ask Copilot about current events, recent data, or anything that changes frequently, and it’ll search the web and synthesize the results. ChatGPT can do this too now, but Copilot’s integration with Bing’s search index makes it faster and more thorough for web-based queries.
Microsoft 365 integration. If you’re a Microsoft 365 subscriber, Copilot can draft emails in Outlook, create presentations in PowerPoint, analyze data in Excel, and summarize meetings in Teams. The integration is genuinely useful for knowledge workers, even if it’s not perfect.
Image generation. Copilot includes DALL-E image generation for free. Type “create an image of…” and you get surprisingly good results without paying anything.
Code assistance. With GitHub Copilot (the developer-focused version), Microsoft has the most popular AI coding assistant on the market. It’s integrated into VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, and other development environments.
Edge browser integration. If you use Microsoft Edge (and about 5% of you do), Copilot is built right into the sidebar. You can ask it any webpage, compare products, or explain complex content.
What It Doesn’t Do Well
Creative writing. Copilot’s outputs tend to be more structured and corporate-sounding than ChatGPT or Claude. If you need creative, nuanced writing, it’s not the best choice.
Complex reasoning. For multi-step logical problems, mathematical proofs, or nuanced analysis, Claude and GPT-4 generally outperform Copilot. The web search integration sometimes gets in the way of pure reasoning tasks.
Privacy. Your conversations with Copilot are processed by Microsoft and OpenAI. If you’re working with sensitive information, that’s worth considering. Microsoft says they don’t use your data to train models, but the data still flows through their infrastructure.
Consistency. Copilot’s behavior can vary depending on whether you’re using it in Bing, Edge, Windows, or the mobile app. The experience isn’t as unified as it should be.
Copilot vs. ChatGPT vs. Claude vs. Gemini
Here’s how the major AI assistants compare in early 2026:
ChatGPT (OpenAI): Best overall general-purpose assistant. Strongest at creative tasks and complex reasoning. $20/month for GPT-4 access. Free tier is limited but usable.
Claude (Anthropic): Best for long-form analysis, nuanced writing, and tasks requiring careful reasoning. Excellent at following complex instructions. $20/month for Claude Pro.
Google Gemini: Best integration with Google services (Gmail, Docs, Search). Strong multimodal capabilities. Free tier is generous.
Microsoft Copilot: Best for web research with sources, Microsoft 365 integration, and free image generation. The value proposition is strongest if you’re already in the Microsoft ecosystem.
The honest take: All four are good enough for most tasks. The differences are at the margins. If you’re already paying for Microsoft 365, Copilot is a no-brainer addition. If you’re not, ChatGPT or Claude are probably better standalone choices.
The Free Tier Is Actually Good
One thing Microsoft deserves credit for: Copilot’s free tier is genuinely useful. You get GPT-4-class responses, web search, image generation, and basic document analysis without paying anything. ChatGPT’s free tier is more limited, and Claude’s free tier has strict usage caps.
For budget-conscious users who need a capable AI assistant, Copilot is hard to beat on value.
Should You Use It?
Yes, if: You need web research with cited sources. You’re in the Microsoft ecosystem. You want a free AI assistant that’s actually good. You need image generation without a subscription.
Probably not, if: You need the absolute best creative writing or reasoning capabilities. You’re privacy-conscious about your conversations. You want a consistent experience across all platforms.
Bottom line: Bing AI Chat / Microsoft Copilot is the most underrated AI assistant available. It’s not the best at any single thing, but it’s good at everything, it’s free, and it’s getting better fast. Most people should at least try it.
🕒 Last updated: · Originally published: March 12, 2026