In a recent development, Microsoft has incorporated AI-powered voice communication into the desktop version of Bing, allowing users to engage in verbal interactions with the search engine and receive spoken responses. This innovative addition, initially introduced on Bing's AI chatbot for mobile applications, has now been extended to the desktop variant.

To activate the voice chat functionality, users simply need to tap on the microphone icon located within the Bing Chat box. Presently, this feature supports multiple languages, including English, Japanese, French, German, and Mandarin, with plans for additional language support in the pipeline.

Interestingly, this enhancement follows closely on the heels of Microsoft's announcement regarding the discontinuation of the standalone Cortana app for Windows, which functioned as a voice assistant.

In a recent development, Microsoft has introduced voice support for Bing's chatbot on desktop, enabling users to interact with the search engine using their voice. This exciting new capability is now available on Edge for PCs and leverages the advanced GPT-4 technology developed by OpenAI.

In the latest release notes for Bing's preview version, Microsoft recognizes the growing popularity of voice input for chat on mobile devices. Initially, this feature was introduced on Bing's AI chatbot for mobile apps, and now it has been extended to cater to desktop users as well. To initiate a conversation with the AI-powered bot, users can simply tap on the microphone icon located within the Bing Chat box.

The current voice support feature in Bing's chatbot is presently available for English, Japanese, French, German, and Mandarin languages. However, Microsoft is actively engaged in expanding language support to encompass a wider range of languages in the future.

In addition to the ability to pose questions to Bing through voice input, the chatbot now offers support for text-to-speech answers. This means that the bot can provide responses in its own distinctive voice.

Microsoft shared an intriguing example query, encouraging users to ask Bing Chat using voice input, "What's the toughest tongue twister you know?" and assured that the chatbot would be more than capable of providing an entertaining response.

In a strategic move following the discontinuation of the standalone Cortana app for Windows, Microsoft has introduced voice support for Bing Chat on desktop. This significant development aligns with The Verge's recent emphasis on Microsoft's dedication to advancing AI capabilities in both Windows and Edge, with a specific focus on delivering robust productivity features.

Microsoft has highlighted Bing Chat and Microsoft 365 Copilot, an AI-powered tool that generates content within the company's applications, as prime examples of these enhanced capabilities. This underscores Microsoft's ongoing commitment to integrating AI technologies and empowering users with innovative and efficient solutions.