February 2023: Bing Chat, Google Bard and Google’s stance on AI-written content
Covers February 2023. Part of our search timeline: a month-by-month look at the changes that shaped SEO, AI search, paid ads and social media, written in November 2026 for local businesses with the benefit of hindsight.
Quick answer: February 2023 was the month Microsoft released a new Bing with a built-in AI chat assistant, Google unveiled a chatbot called Bard, and Google said publicly that it rewards good quality content whether or not AI helped produce it. That combination kicked off the race for AI search.
Looking back from November 2026, February 2023 is where the AI search story really starts. Within a few weeks, both of the big search engines had shown they planned to answer questions with AI, and Google had set out its position on AI-written content.
The announcements of February 2023
Google revealed Bard, its conversational AI, first. A few days later Microsoft launched AI-powered versions of Bing and its Edge browser, built using OpenAI technology. Google’s Search Central blog then explained that using AI in a sensible way to produce helpful content does not break its guidelines.
Why local firms needed to pay attention
It was the first time the major search engines put answers written by AI directly in front of searchers. A plumber or an electrician now had to think about whether they would be mentioned in a chat reply, not only where they ranked in the usual list of results.
Practical steps for today
- Ask Bing’s Copilot and other AI assistants about your trade and town, and see how they describe your business.
- Put the key facts about your firm, such as services, areas covered and accreditations, in plain text on your website.
- If you use AI to help write pages, add your own expertise and check everything before it goes live.
Frequently asked questions
Whatever became of Bard?
Google changed its name to Gemini in February 2024.
Is Bing worth bothering with for a UK trades business?
Yes, more than it used to be. Bing feeds Microsoft Copilot and some AI features on other services, so visibility there now carries extra weight.
Sources and further reading
Want help with this? We can check how AI assistants talk about your business and help you get named more often. See our AI search and GEO service, or Get in touch.
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