Sundar Pichai Announces Bard, Google's Counter to ChatGPT

Is Google facing its first serious challenge to its web search dominance in years? How is Google responding to the sensational popularity of ChatGPT, the AI chatbot developed by OpenAI with Microsoft's funding? What is Google's new chatbot Bard, and how is it different from ChatGPT?

Will Google integrate Bard into its search engine, or is it planning something different?

Google announced the launch of its new chatbot, Bard, in response to the growing popularity of ChatGPT, the AI chatbot developed by OpenAI with Microsoft's funding.

Bard is already available to "trusted testers" and aims to provide the "breadth of the world's knowledge" through a conversational interface.

In this detailed article, we will explore the differences and similarities between ChatGPT and Bard, and the challenges faced by AI chatbots in the future.

Bard: A New AI Chatbot by Google

Google's Bard is built on a smaller version of LaMDA, a powerful AI model announced in May 2021. It uses text generation software similar to that of ChatGPT but with a focus on quality and accuracy of responses. Google plans to gather feedback from users and improve the chatbot over time.

“It’s a really exciting time to be working on these technologies as we translate deep research and breakthroughs into products that truly help people. That’s the journey we’ve been on with large language models. Two years ago we unveiled next-generation language and conversation capabilities powered by our Language Model for Dialogue Applications (or LaMDA for short),” said Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet in his blogpost.

Rising Significant of AI

“AI is the most profound technology we are working on today,” noted Pichai.

Whether it’s helping doctors detect diseases earlier or enabling people to access information in their own language, AI helps people, businesses and communities unlock their potential. And it opens up new opportunities that could significantly improve billions of lives. That’s why we re-oriented the company around AI six years ago — and why we see it as the most important way we can deliver on our mission: to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful, explained Pichai in his blogpost.

Bard and Conventional Search

Unlike ChatGPT, Google's CEO Sundar Pichai did not announce plans to integrate Bard into the search box that powers Google's profits. Instead, he showcased a novel and cautious use of AI technology to enhance conventional search. For questions with no single agreed-on answer, Google will synthesize a response that reflects the differing opinions. Google plans to make the underlying technology available to developers through an API, but no timeline has been offered yet.

The Rise of ChatGPT

OpenAI's ChatGPT has grown into an internet sensation since its quiet launch in November 2020. Its ability to answer complex questions has many users dreaming of a revolution in education, business, and daily life. However, AI experts advise caution, noting that the tool does not understand the information it serves up and is inherently prone to making things up.

The Challenge of Text Generation Technology

Both ChatGPT and Bard are built on text generation software that is prone to fabrication and can replicate unsavory styles of speech picked up online. This poses a challenge for the development of powerful and accurate AI chatbots. Additionally, AI models trained on text from the web are prone to exhibiting racial and gender biases and repeating hateful language. These limitations were highlighted by Google researchers in a 2020 draft research paper, leading to the firing of two prominent ethical AI researchers.