Bing adds a -ai operator and extension to switch off AI answers

What this means for specialists

The two options work differently. The operator is a choice made one query at a time. The extension is a standing preference that covers every Bing search, so a user who switches AI answers off once stays on classic results until they switch back.

For anyone tracking how a brand appears in Bing's AI-generated answers, the implication is that some searchers will not see those answers at all. How many is unknown, since Microsoft gave no usage or opt-out figures. It is reasonable to treat any exposure you attribute to AI-generated answers on Bing as applying only to searches where they are shown.

The reverse also holds. For searchers who opt out, the post says they will "focus on familiar search results and links", so the classic results are what those users see. If your brand's visibility on Bing depends partly on AI-generated answers, a check without them shows what the opted-out searcher gets.

The extension also sets Bing as the default search engine. Microsoft does not say whether that is a goal of the extension or a side effect, but anyone installing it for testing on a working machine should expect the default to change.

What to do this week

1. Open Bing and run your most important queries as normal, then run each again with -ai added. Note which results and links differ.
2. Record where your own brand and your clients' brands appear in each version, with the date, so you have a baseline for later comparison.
3. Install the Microsoft Bing AI Search Choice extension in Chrome and in Edge on a machine where a changed default search engine does not matter. Switch AI answers off and check the results match the -ai versions.
4. Switch the toggle back on and confirm the AI-generated answers return, so you know what searchers with each setting see.
5. Look through any internal reporting or client commentary that describes Bing's AI-generated answers, and add a note that users can now opt out with the operator or the extension.
6. Tell account owners the option exists, and that Microsoft has given no figures on how many people use it.

What we do not know yet

• How many users will install the extension or use the -ai operator. The post gives no usage or opt-out figures.
• When the extension leaves preview, or what may change before it does. Microsoft only says it may make changes based on feedback.
• Which markets and languages the operator and extension cover. The post does not say.
• Whether browsers other than Chrome and Edge will get the extension. The post names only those two.
• What else on the results page changes when AI answers are off, beyond Microsoft's description of "familiar search results and links".
• How the opt-out affects any reporting you rely on. The post does not mention reporting.