A few days ago, we learned that Microsoft is spamming the Windows 11 lock screen with QR codes which leads unsuspecting users to a promotion for the company's latest Copilot ads. Following backlash, the firm removed this "advertisement", but it seems that it hasn't learned its lesson just yet, as yet another dubious ad promoting the GPT-4-powered Bing has been spotted by several Chrome users.

Windows pop-ups are now advertising Bing to Chrome users

As reported by Windows Latest, some Google Chrome users are being served Windows pop-up notifications, urging them to set Bing as their default search provider. This time around, Microsoft is attempting to entice potential customers with GPT-4 capabilities, such as "hundreds of daily chat turns with Bing AI". The media outlet also notes that the pop-up doesn't appear to be tied to a specific Windows update.

If you approve the switch to Bing, your default search settings will be linked to the search engine and the Bing Search Chrome extension will also be installed automatically. Once the search provider is changed, Chrome will notify you and ask you if you want to switch back, but Microsoft will show you another notification here too, saying: "Wait - don't change it back! If you do, you'll turn off Microsoft Bing Search for Chrome and lose access to Bing AI with GPT-4 and DALL-E 3."

What has Microsoft got to say about its latest shady tactics?

In a statement to Windows Latest, Microsoft confirmed the existence of the pop-up but tried to downplay its intrusiveness by saying that:

This is a one-time notification giving people the choice to set Bing as their default search engine on Chrome. For those who choose to set Bing as their default search engine on Chrome, when signed in with their MSA they also get more chat turns in Copilot and chat history. We value providing our customers with choice, so there is an option to dismiss the notification.

That said, it is important to note that this is not the first time that the Redmond tech giant has tried to get users to switch to Bing. A couple of months ago, it started showing similar notifications to Edge customers, though without the AI elements. It will be interesting to see if the company can move the needle through methods like these, while running the risk of bad PR and the annoyance of its Windows customers.