Today’s technology market is flooded with numerous AI solutions, yet a few stand out as market leaders. Google’s Gemini boasts an impressive 400 million monthly users. However, that seems modest compared to ChatGPT’s staggering 700 million weekly users. For comparison, even Microsoft’s AI assistant, Copilot, captures a modest audience of 20 million weekly users. While that number is significant, Microsoft might be actively looking for strategies to draw some of the traffic from OpenAI and Google, even as it maintains a partnership with OpenAI.

Indeed, Microsoft seems to be employing such tactics. For those utilizing Microsoft’s Bing search engine, various interactions with Copilot can be observed. Users can either press the large “Copilot” button situated alongside the search box or encounter a prominent “Copilot Answer” that appears atop search results, reminiscent of AI Overviews. However, if the search query pertains to competing AI services like ChatGPT or Gemini, the aforementioned Copilot Answer transforms into a direct prompt for Copilot itself.

Try searching for any of these rival AI tools. As long as Bing hasn’t undergone any updates since this article’s composition, entering a query for a competitor will yield the following outcome: “Promoted by Microsoft: Your Copilot is here,” suggests users “easily ask questions, create images, and manage tasks with Copilot, your trustworthy assistant.” Following this, a large interactive search bar displaying “Ask me anything” appears, directing users to engage with Copilot in a fresh window. Interestingly, searches for Anthropic or its AI solution, Claude, do not initiate this Copilot experience. Apologies to Anthropic.

It’s evident that Bing, being a Microsoft product, is inclined to prioritize its own offerings over directing users to the alternatives they seek. A similar scenario unfolds when a search is performed for non-Microsoft browsers like Chrome; the first result is a prompt suggesting, “try the latest browser from Microsoft,” complete with a link to access Edge. This latest strategy raises concerns about the fine line between persuasive marketing and manipulation. If someone is searching for a specific web browser, and they are redirected to another, it’s clear they are being presented with a limited choice. However, for users seeking ChatGPT on Bing, this may lead to confusion, particularly for those unfamiliar with Copilot, encountering a search bar with a prompt to get started immediately.

This isn’t the first instance of Microsoft trying to subtly steer users towards its own products. Earlier this year, the company mimicked Google’s homepage when users searched directly for Google via Bing. To the unsuspecting user, the initial impression could easily suggest they were visiting Google, as the top half of the window resembled the familiar search engine. Only upon inspecting the bottom half did it become evident they were still navigating through Bing rather than Google. It raises the question of how many individuals were misled into using Bing while believing they were engaging with their intended search engine.

Fast forward to August, and there’s a growing concern regarding how many users might end up interacting with Copilot under the false impression that they are accessing ChatGPT or Gemini. Building a search engine should ideally help users find the content they seek, rather than serving as a conduit to divert them towards proprietary offerings. This approach can come across as deceptive and ultimately undermines the trust users place in such services.