Outlook themes and other AI-powered wonders in the news this week:

Open AI introduces search

This week, Google Search faced serious competition from ChatGPT, which can now search the web better and offer users fast, timely answers with links to relevant web resources. “This blends the benefits of a natural language interface with the value of up-to-date sports scores, news, stock prices and more,” OpenAI said in a blog post. The search function is seemingly different from traditional search engines in that it encourages users to ask questions in a more natural, conversational way and dig deeper with follow-up questions; ChatGPT will take into account the entire context of your chat to get a better response. The search functionality is currently available to premium users on the desktop and mobile app.

St Peter’s gets AI treatment

St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican now has a digital twin, announced earlier this week. The artificial intelligence-supported project, which is a reconstruction of the evolution of the basilica from Roman times to the present day, will be published on the website basilicasanpietro.va starting from December 1. Artificial intelligence has made it possible to leverage the “enormous amount of data” contained in 400,000 photographs taken by drones to reconstruct this “giant quilt” that recreates the smallest details of the basilica architecture, paintings and sculptures. The site will also offer a virtual tour of the basilica, which celebrates its 400th anniversary in 2026, and in-person visitors will find tech-enabled exhibit halls to fully immerse them.

Stay in theme

Microsoft Outlook now offers unique and dynamic AI-powered themes that can be personalized to reflect individual tastes and interests. Microsoft said in a blog post that Copilot Themes in Outlook “leverages the power of generative AI to help people create unique themes that reflect their personal preferences and style in their Outlook experience.”