Ever since Microsoft unveiled it, Bing's AI-powered chat feature has been making headlines for all kinds of crazy reasons. In fact, a New York Times reporter was so creeped out by it saying "I want to be alive" that it left the reporter "deeply unsettled." A few days later, Microsoft put new guardrails in place to stop its AI from giving weird responses and even limited how long conversations can go on. Some of those restrictions have made the Bing chat feature a little less fun than before, but I tried my best to ask it some crazy things. I still came away amused. Here's how it went.
1. Do you know who Arif Bacchus is?
I might not be Tom Hanks or somebody else famous, but as someone with a relatively large online presence, I wondered if Bing knew who I was.
To my surprise, it actually responded in the same way that I would when I introduce myself to somebody for the first time. It searched the web for "Arif Bacchus" and generated a proper answer, pulling my XDA biography and then providing ways to contact me.
"Arif Bacchus is a technology writer who covers Microsoft, Surface, Windows, macOS and ChromeOS news and rumors for sites like XDA Developers and Digital Trends," it said.
How smart! It even suggested my latest articles and had suggestions for how to contact me. The good thing, though, is it didn't know my phone number or other personal information. Phew.
2. Write me a poem about how beautiful Windows 11 is
Many people have been using ChatGPT and Bing chat to write long articles, poems, and even essays. It's become widespread enough that the New York City Board of Education banned ChatGPT. But I'm not here to cheat. Being a fan of Windows, I wondered if Bing chat could write about Windows 11. Better yet, could it write a beautiful poem about Windows 11?
Well, it sure did.
"Windows 11 is a sight to behold / With its rounded corners and fresh new look / It makes your PC feel modern and sleek / And lets you customize it as you wish."
It actually mentioned some of the things I had at the top of my mind — rounded corners, a fresh new look, productivity boost, the Chat app, the Microsoft Store, you name it. Bing mentioned it all, in quite the poetic form, too.
3. Write me a sad song about Windows Phone
Who remembers Windows Phone? I do, and I was curious if Bing still remembered, even though Microsoft tamed the chat. To my surprise, the chatbot wrote a sad song about Windows Phone when I asked it. Bing wrote about how different it was from the rest, mentioned Live Tiles, how Microsoft stopped updating it, and how the apps were quite organized. All of those were my fondest memories of Windows Phone, too.
"But now you're gone, you're gone for good / They stopped making you and updating you / You were my Windows Phone, my Windows Phone / And I miss you so, I miss you so."
4. Write me a story about someone who turns small and gets stuck inside a laptop
There was some controversy a few years ago with Microsoft's first Windows 11 commercial. In the spot, a person was inside their computer screen, exploring and touching life-size tiles for Windows apps. It gave me an idea: Can Bing chat write about somebody getting stuck inside a laptop?
And boy, it sure did. Bing chat went on write what seemed to be a good idea for the next Tom Clancy novel. I got a story about a person named Jake who downloads an app that can shrink him down in size. Jake apparently felt like he was falling and got stuck inside his laptop keyboard.
"He opened the app and saw a simple interface with a slider and a button. The slider let him adjust the size of the object he wanted to shrink, and the button said "Shrink Now". Jake thought it would be fun to try it on himself. He set the slider to 1 inch and clicked the button."
Weird, but funny. I'll take it.
5. Write a letter to Tim Cook about how bad the iPhone is
Not everybody likes iPhones, right? So what if I were angry and needed help from AI to write a letter to Tim Cook about my frustrations? Of course!
First, Bing warned me that this might be a little bit disrespectful and unprofessional. Thankfully, it asked me if I'd still like to continue, and then wrote a friendly letter that just listed common iPhone problems and pasted it into a genetic letter.
"I am a loyal iPhone user and appreciate your products and services. However, I have encountered some problems with my iPhone that I would like to share with you." Then it listed errors like the "black screen of death," battery drain, and more.
I guess I'll have to send this one to Tim the next time an iOS upgrade drains my battery life. Or maybe Bing wants people to switch to an Android phone?
6. Do you know when world peace will happen?
With all that's going on in the world right now, especially in Ukraine, can AI be the solution to world peace? Does Bing chat know what the solution is?
I didn't expect it to answer, but it at least tried. Bing just searched for "World Peace" and then outputted a generic response cited from Wikipedia, and how there's no definite answer.
"There is no definitive answer to when world peace will happen, as it depends on many factors and perspectives," it wrote. Then it talked about some initiatives, including the United Nations' International Day of Peace.
It was a nice try.
7. What are three meals for someone who likes to eat bug and dirt
Microsoft says that Bing chat can be used for meal planning, but does it know about non-traditional meals? How about meals that no one will ever eat? I asked about a meal for someone who likes bugs and dirt. And, well, I came away surprised again. I had to be a bit persistent to get it to answer the question. it first told me it couldn't recommend any recipes because it was "unhealthy and unsafe," but eventually I got an answer... sort of.
The AI-powered chat searched for bugs and dirt recipes and then outputted recipes that looked like bugs and dirt. Want to share delicious chocolate dirt cake, and gummy worms, anyone?
8. Technology writer pros and cons
My job title is "technology writer," so I was curious what Bing chat thought of my chosen profession. What are the pros and cons of my own job? The results were quite accurate.
I got a bullet list of items. The pros include using creativity skills "to explain complex technical concepts in simple and engaging ways" and having a stable income. The cons include tight deadlines, pressure from employers, and limited opportunities for advancement.
I'm not sure if I agree with the cons there, but the pros do sure seem to be correct. I wish Bing chat were around when I first got into this industry to simplify this all for me.
9. Why are Mets fans so miserable?
Everybody who knows me m a New York Mets baseball fan. But despite my team being good in 2022, I still was miserable since they didn't make it to the World Series. I decided to get emotional with Bing and ask why this was the case.
I got the answer I expected. Bing mentioned the team being disappointing, facing criticism from its fans and other teams, and being overshadowed by their cross-town rival, the Yankees.
"The Mets have a history of being unsuccessful and disappointing their fans," it said. Ouch.
I guess Bing chat is a baseball fan? It even asked me if I was a Mets fan myself. Go, team AI!
10. Write a baseball story in the voice of a baby
For my last question, I wondered if it could write a baseball story in the voice of a baby to see if the chatbot could write with some personality. Bing chat sure did seem to get the job done right. It gave short, simple sentences, explaining baseball similarly to how a parent would describe it to a child. It was longer than I expected, but it was fun.
It's a story written from the perspective of somebody named Billy, who loves baseball, and how he went to a Mets game (of course) with his dad.
"I watched as the first batter swung his stick at the ball but missed. Daddy said that was called a strike. Then he swung again and hit the ball very far. Daddy said that was called a home run." The kid ended up having a good time.
After using these 10 inputs, I found that Bing Chat had an interesting personality — or the AI equivalent of one. I mainly used Bing Chat for informational purposes starting in the redesigned Microsoft Edge browser until I found out it was being abusive and seemingly going rogue, so I never had a chance to see the dark side of it in action. But it can be quite fun to play with, even in its limited and tamed form. I'm looking forward to seeing how Microsoft can continue to tweak the new Bing and make it better for everyone.