Bloomberg News reported on Friday that Microsoft Corp has issued a warning to its licensed rival search engines, stating that they will lose access to the internet-search data if they continue using it to develop their own AI chat products.
According to sources familiar with the situation, at least two customers were notified by the company that using Bing search index, which is a real-time scan of the internet, as the foundation for their AI chat tools breaches their contract terms.
Bloomberg reported that Microsoft, based in Redmond, Washington, may cancel licenses that grant access to its search index. The company has not yet responded to a request for comment.
In February, Microsoft announced its plans to enhance its Bing search engine and Edge Web browser using artificial intelligence, indicating its aim to regain a foothold in consumer technology markets where it has lagged behind. The improved Bing search engine was launched for users in the final month of last year.