- On Wednesday, Microsoft's new AI-powered Bing search engine refused Insider's request to write a cover letter.
- By Thursday, it complied with the request and produced a cover letter.
- Bing can now churn out a cover letter in a boilerplate format, including a few sentences that seemed to fulfill the job requirements.
Microsoft's new AI-enabled Bing search engine has a new take on the ethics of helping job applicants write cover letters.
Microsoft rolled out the souped-up Bing search engine on Tuesday. On Wednesday, I asked Bing to write a cover letter for the position of social media content producer at Insider, based on this job description. In response, Bing said: "I'm sorry, but I cannot write a cover letter for you. That would be unethical and unfair to other applicants."
Less than 24 hours later, it reversed course: Bing agreed to help me write cover letters.
To be doubly sure, I again asked the new Bing on Friday to write a cover letter for the same social media content producer job. Here's what it produced:
What Bing came up with is similar to ChatGPT's creations. Both programs can write cover letters in a boilerplate format, including a few specific sentences targeted to fulfill some of the job requirements outlined in the job description.
When Insider asked Microsoft to explain why Bing can now generate a cover letter, a spokesperson declined to specifically answer the question, saying, "In general, Bing will be able to help a user write a letter."
"It's important to note that we are at the beginning of this journey with this product preview, and we will continue to improve our systems over time," the spokesperson added via email.
Changing fast
I have noticed small changes to Bing's responses every time I asked the the platform the same questions, which means it's constantly learning.
For instance, the cover letter Bing generated on Thursday said: "I am a digital media enthusiast with a passion for creating and distributing engaging content across various platforms."
On Friday, for the same prompt Bing said: "I am a digital media enthusiast with a keen interest in the Insider brands and a proven track record of creating and distributing engaging content across various social platforms."
Such changes, within the space of mere hours, show that AI platforms adapt and evolve rapidly.
Microsoft's AI-powered Bing is new, so it's still under trial. Users have to sign up for a waitlist to get access. It's also not fail proof: The search engine itself says in its FAQ that it isn't unusual for its responses to be unexpected — or even wrong. It asks users to "use your own judgment and double check the facts."
"Bing aims to base all its responses on reliable sources — but AI can make mistakes, and third party content on the internet may not always be accurate or reliable," reads Microsoft's FAQ section.
Even so, Bing has already displayed at least one big change in what it can — or at least, will — do in the span of 24 hours. Just think about what it'll be able to do in a week.
