May 30, 2023

Share Microsoft is continuingto move fast in integrating OpenAI’s artificial intelligence technology acrossits portfolio of products and services. Among the manyannouncements at last week’s Microsoft Build 2023 developer conference is newsthat artificial intelligence plugins – such as those already enabled in ChatGPT– are now operable across all of Microsoft’s products, including the Bing searchplatform, and new plugins are in development from travel brands Tripadvisor , Trip.com , Skyscanner , Fareportal and Spotnana . Plugins connect largelanguage models, such as those used by ChatGPT or Bing Chat, to third-party data sources, enablingthem to retrieve real-time information to answer users’ queries and to assistusers with actions, such as booking travel. Microsoft is adopting the same openplugin standard that OpenAI introduced for ChatGPT in March, so plugins builton the standard are interoperable across the Microsoft and OpenAI ecosystems. Expediaand Kayak were two of the first brands to launch plugins for ChatGPT andthose will now also be accessible across Microsoft. In a statement about theupdates, Microsoft said, “Developerscan now use one platform to build plugins that work across both consumer andbusiness surfaces, including ChatGPT, Bing, Dynamics 365 Copilot (in preview)and Microsoft 365 Copilot (in preview). If users want to develop and use theirown plugins with their AI app built on Azure OpenAI Service it will, bydefault, be interoperable with this same plugin standard. This means developerscan build experiences that enable people to interact with their apps using themost natural user interface: the human language.” Microsoft says the new plugins– a total of more than 50 - will roll out in the coming weeks. Get a dose of digital travel in your inbox each day Subscribe to our newsletter below Submit “With plugins built right into chat, across desktop andmobile, Bing makes relevant recommendations based on your conversation. Forexample, you can use the OpenTable plugin to ask about restaurants or relatedtopics. This becomes even more powerful on mobile when you’re on the go withthe Bing mobile app. We are excited for the new opportunities this creates fordevelopers and consumers alike,” wrote Microsoft corporate vice president andconsumer chief marketing officer Yusuf Mehdi in a blog post . As an example of use cases for the new plugins, Mehdi wrote, “The Tripadvisor plugin will help hundreds of millions of people each month become better travelers by leveraging the world’s largest travel guidance platform.” [PhocusWire has asked Tripadvisor, Trip.com, Fareportal,Skyscanner and Spotnana for more information about their plugins and will update this story if necessary.] In other news from the Build event, Microsoft has created asolution for one of the biggest criticisms leveled at ChatGPT: that its knowledgeis only current through September 2021. Starting immediately for ChatGPT Plus subscribers and soonfor everyone, users can choose “Browse with Bing” in the chat platform. WithBing as the default search experience, the system can access up-to-dateinformation from across the web. “Now, ChatGPT answers can be grounded by search and web dataand include citations so you can learn more - all directly from within chat,”Mehdi wrote. Separate from Microsoft’s announcements last week, several new travelbrands have recently enabled plugins in ChatGPT, including Turo , Klook, GetYourGuide and Trip.com. In February Trip.com became one of the first companies to create a conversational chatbot within its app built on an API from OpenAI. Copilots and Plugins: Yusuf Mehdi at Microsoft Build 2023 Phocuswright Europe 2023 Generative AI is set to revolutionize travel. Leaders from Trip.com , Microsoft and Kayak tell us how the technology will change everything from the back of the house to the front.