Microsoft Cuts Off Access to Bing Search Data as It Shifts Focus to Chatbots
1 min read
Summary
From August 11, Microsoft will be retiring its Bing Search API, which for years provided search engine start-ups with raw search results, allowing them to create their own search engines.
The API also fuelled more specialised tools, used by companies and internet researchers to search specific corners of the web.
Microsoft has cited its desire to support the market demand for AI solutions as the reason for the retirement.
After the company upped prices for the API by 10% in 2022, following the debut of ChatGPT, many users began creating their own indexes of the web, which has become easier thanks to new technologies.
The discontinuation of the API may force Google to open up, as the tech giant recently lost an antitrust case and is likely to be subjected to corrective actions, which may entail the sharing of search data with competitors.
Developers fear that no option is as robust or feature-rich as the Bing API, and that the retirement will spur bigger spenders to develop alternatives.
