Microsoft admits frustrating Copilot/Bing Chat flaw: "Needs to change"

Microsoft has acknowledged a user complaint regarding a limitation in its AI assistant Copilot/Bing Chat, sparking hope for improvement in future updates.

The issue? If you switch tabs while Copilot generates an answer, it abruptly stops. This forces users to stay glued to the Copilot page, hindering multitasking and disrupting workflow.

The user voiced their frustration directly to Mikhail Parakhin, CEO of Advertising & Web Services at Microsoft, tweeting: “Can you please fix the issue where I have to stay on the copilot//bing chat page in order to continue generating an answer? If I switch tabs, it will stop generating answer and I have to start over. Thank you for your consideration.”

Parakhin’s response was direct and promising: “Yes, we need to change that.” This suggests Microsoft is aware of the limitation and is potentially working on a solution.

Several factors could contribute to the current behavior, including technical constraints, privacy concerns, or resource management limitations. However, users can expect potential improvements in future updates. 

Ideal solutions might involve, in my opinion:

• Allow continued answer generation even when the user switches tabs.
• Implement mechanisms to retain context even during tab switching.
• Provide visual cues for ongoing generation and completion.

By addressing this user concern, Microsoft can enhance the overall Copilot/Bing Chat experience, enabling smoother workflows and more user-friendly interaction with its AI assistant.