Google Bard: ChatGPT competitor announced
It has been rumored for quite some time that Google could soon come up with its own competitor to OpenAI's popular language model ChatGPT.
Now the company has officially announced that this competitor is indeed in development. It is currently considered experimental by Google and is called "Bard".
Bard is a language model optimized for dialoge, just like ChatGPT. Bard was, however, trained with data sets provided by Google and powered by LaMDA, Google's Language Model for Dialogue Applications.
Bard "seeks to combine the breadth of the world’s knowledge with the power, intelligence and creativity of our large language models" according to Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai.
The conversational AI service "draws on information from the web to provide fresh, high-quality responses" according to Pichai. The public version of ChatGPT lacks these capabilities, as its data set is limited to data from 2021 and before. New versions of ChatGPT are already available that are not limited in this regard.
Microsoft started to test one of these improved ChatGPT implementations on the company's Bing search engine recently. Available to a small subset of Bing users only, it transforms the Bing search engine into a chat-like interface that has Bing users communicate directly with the language model.
Bard, according to Google, can be an "outlet for creativity" and a "launchpad for curiosity". Google users may use Bard to "explain new discoveries from NASA" or the "best strikers in football", and more.
Bard is released with a lightweight model version of LaMDA, which is optimized for scale as it requires less computing power. Google launches Bard to a small set of users initially and plans to combine feedback from these early testers with data from its internal tests. The company wants to make sure that the AI's responses "meet a high bar for quality, safety and groundedness in real-world information".
Bard, just like ChatGPT, comes with a disclaimer. It reads "Bard may give inaccurate or inappropriate information".
Closing Words
Microsoft has the edge right now regarding the integration of language models. ChatGPT is publicly available, and a more advanced version is already being tested in Bing. Google Bard won't be available publicly for some time and it remains to be seen whether it was hastily put together by Google to counter Microsoft's advancement in the area, or a real-contender.
Another thing that needs consideration is how users will react to ChatGPT and Bard, and how the actual integration in search, or co-existence on Bing and Google Search, will look like in the future.
Language models may produce inaccurate results, and there has to be a way to research topics on the Internet the old-fashioned way.
Now You: What do you expect of Google Bard?
I expect from Google Bard to become a Google Bard Simpsom. In other words, not too much neither.
Ah, so Google Search will be the next Google product to be retired. We’ll use Bard now. lol
Nope, probably Bard will be another project that will be killed by Google and take its place in Google Graveyard.
Exactly. You nailed it. Using your own earlier searches in the database, to produce irrelevant links or even small novels, to change our minds.
Good thing to have in coming government elections. I lift my hat, to the bold attempt.
It has been shown some people accept fake news as fact. Bard and like tools will be clever enough to lull even more people to trust this kind of babble.
What do I expect of Google Bard?
For myself, nothing given I block system-wide access to Google servers. Side-note : haven’t tried ChatGPT.
For itself, for others than myself : “Bard, just like ChatGPT, comes with a disclaimer. It reads “Bard may give inaccurate or inappropriate information”.” I’m afraid many of us will forget this warning, as always.
I’m still in the curiosity stage concerning AI in general but haven’t quit (yet, if I ever will) the caution stage when it comes to AI delivered to masses via dedicated tools. I think as well that virtual reality heavily relies on AI and in this area AI may prove to be harmful : fake images, fake videos, fake audios. We’ve never at the same time denied fake news and venerated virtual reality as we are nowadays, a strange paradox when obviously what is virtual is basically fake.
Basically, I’m not excited.
+10
I think that Bing search finally takes better place than it had the past years, and also with
ChatGTP web search has more safety and reliable that current search algorithm.
With Google Bard start, is sure that better things coming.
“What do you expect of Google Bard?”
The best-laid schemes o’ mice an’ men, Gang aft a-gley, And leave us nought but grief and pain, For promised joy – Robbie Burns