Google announced the release of its latest artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot technology, Bard, in the coming weeks. This technology will compete directly with OpenAI’s popular AI service, ChatGPT. The chatbot technology is powered by Google’s large language model, LaMDA (Language Model for Dialogue Applications). Google will be opening the technology up to “trusted testers” before it becomes available to the public.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai wrote in a blog post that users will soon see AI-powered features in Google Search, which will simplify complex information into easy-to-understand formats. Pichai gave an example of using Bard to explain new discoveries from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to a 9-year-old child.
The launch of Bard comes after a recent all-hands meeting where employees raised concerns about the company’s competitiveness in the AI field, given the sudden popularity of ChatGPT. Jeff Dean, Google’s AI chief, told employees that the company has a significant “reputational risk” in providing incorrect information and therefore is moving cautiously. However, Pichai teased that Google may launch similar products to the public this year.
Google’s primary business is web search and the company has always been a pioneer in AI. Leaders are seeking more feedback from employees in recent weeks on their efforts. The company emphasized the need for rigorous testing and said that they will combine external feedback with their internal testing to ensure that Bard’s responses meet high standards for quality, safety, and groundedness in real-world information.
Google’s Bard AI chatbot technology promises to bring new and innovative ways for users to access and understand information on the web. With the increasing popularity of chatbots and AI, it will be interesting to see how Bard will compete with rival AI services such as ChatGPT. The rigorous testing that Google plans to undertake will ensure that the information provided by Bard is accurate, safe, and relevant to real-world situations. As the technology becomes more widely available to the public, it will likely change the way we interact with the web and access information.
