Global software giant Microsoft has threatened to cut off access to its Internet search data, which it licenses to rival search engines, if they don’t stop using it as the basis for their own artificial intelligence chat products, according to people familiar with the dispute.

The software maker licenses the data in its Bing search index — a map of the Internet that can be quickly scanned in real time — to other companies that offer Web search, such as Yahoo and DuckDuckGo. In February, Microsoft integrated a cousin of ChatGPT, OpenAI’s AI-powered chat technology, into Bing.

Rivals quickly moved to roll out their own AI chatbots as hype built around the buzzy technology. This week, Google publicly released Bard, its conversational AI product. DuckDuckGo, a search engine that emphasises privacy, introduced DuckAssist, a feature that uses AI to summarise answers to search queries. You.com and Neeva — two newer search engines that debuted in 2021 — have also debuted AI-fuelled search services, YouChat and NeevaAI.

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Microsoft said it may terminate the licences providing access to its search index

These search chatbots aim to combine the conversational skills of ChatGPT with the information provided by a conventional search engine. DuckDuckGo, You.com and Neeva’s regular search engines all use Bing to provide some of their information, because indexing the entire Web is costly — it requires servers to store data and a constant crawl of the Internet to incorporate updates. It would be similarly complex and pricey to get together that data for a search chatbot. 

Microsoft has told at least two customers that using its Bing search index to feed their AI chat tools violates the terms of their contract, according to the people, who spoke anonymously because they were discussing a confidential dispute. The Redmond, Washington-based tech company said it may terminate the licences providing access to its search index, the people said.

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If they were cut off from Microsoft’s index, smaller search engines would have a hard time finding an alternative. Microsoft and Google are the only two companies that index the entire Web, and Google’s limitations on the use of its index have led nearly all other search engines to use Bing. 

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

The Microsoft AI for Accessibility Grants program is calling for project proposals that will drive AI-based innovations in education and promote equity for students with disabilities. The AI for Accessibility Grants program is a call to action for developers, NGOs, academics, institutions, and tech startups who are willing to co-design AI-powered projects and products with students, parents, and teachers with disabilities, thereby creating an equal playing field within the education ecosystem.

The initiative aims to support projects that leverage AI to empower people living with disabilities as well as invest in innovative ideas that are developed by or with people with disabilities. Being a global program, grant applications from all countries in the world are invited.

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In addition to Azure compute credits worth $10,000, $15,000, or $20,000 (depending on the project, its scope, and needs), these grants cover costs related to collecting or labeling data, developing models, or other engineering-related work. Applications are evaluated on their scientific merit, innovative use of AI technology, and potential for scalability.

The community of AI for Accessibility grantees also stands to receive Azure developer support, resources, and opportunities to collaborate and showcase their work.

Applicants’ project proposal is expected to describe the accessibility challenge addressed, the technical solution proposed, and its potential impact on people with disabilities. Please follow the application form and be as specific as possible. Review the proposal requirements document for further information. Moreso, those that do not meet all the requirements are advised to connect to someone in their community who can support them and partner on an application.

Interested applicants are advised to submit their project proposal at https://ai4prod.microsoftcrmportals.com/AIAcccessibilityGrantApplication/ as

proposals are accepted on a rolling basis and reviewed a few times a year. The next deadline is Friday, July 30, 2021.

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry