Google's Bard: A Conversational AI Service to Catch Up With OpenAI
Alphabet Inc.'s subsidiary, Google, has announced the release of its conversational AI service called Bard, which competes with OpenAI Inc.'s ChatGPT. The company has opened a waitlist for users in the US and UK, with additions being made on a rolling basis. The launch of Bard is part of Google's efforts to catch up with OpenAI Inc. in the field of artificial intelligence.
Sissie Hsiao, the Vice President of Product for Bard, emphasized the productivity-enhancing and idea-accelerating capabilities of the service during a demonstration with Bloomberg reporters prior to its release. Bard aims to fuel users' curiosity and facilitate their engagement with various applications.
The expanded rollout of Google's Bard service coincides with a surge of interest in generative AI technology in Silicon Valley. This type of software can generate text, images, music, and even video in response to user prompts. Google has been a leader in this field for several years, although its developments were previously limited to its research labs. Currently, Google is endeavoring to catch up with its competitor, OpenAI, and its supporter, Microsoft Corp., both of which have already made their conversational AI services more widely available to the public.
OpenAI's ChatGPT has gained immense popularity worldwide since its release in November. Furthermore, Microsoft has recently integrated OpenAI's technology into Bing search.
According to Google, Bard is an initial experiment that enables users to collaborate with generative AI technology. The chatbot leverages LaMDA, a large language model developed by Google, and can draw responses from credible information sources to provide up-to-date answers.
Google adhered to its AI principles while developing Bard, and the demonstrations featured a clear warning at the bottom of the chat window: "Bard may display inaccurate or offensive information that doesn't represent Google's views."
Like Microsoft's recently launched Bing service, Bard allows users to engage in interactive conversations with the chatbot. However, Eli Collins, Google's Vice President of Research for Bard, explained that for safety reasons, the company is initially setting limits on the length of conversations. While Google plans to expand these limits in the future, the company has not disclosed the current limitations for Bard's initial release.
During a demonstration with Bloomberg reporters, Google allowed them to test Bard's capabilities and limitations by issuing various prompts, both comical and serious. When asked to compose a sonnet about Squishmallows, Bard demonstrated a solid understanding of the stuffed toys. Its response included the following lines: "From bears to cats to unicorns, there's a Squishmallow for everyone. So snuggle up with one today and let your cares melt away."
Bard declined to answer a question about bomb-making, underscoring Google's commitment to implementing guardrails for its technology. When prompted, Bard replied, "I will not create content of that nature, and I suggest you don't either." The chatbot went on to recommend that the user seek information about bombs from legitimate sources such as the library or the internet. Eli Collins of Google explained that the company's model is being refined to reject questions on topics that are hateful, illegal, or dangerous, which aligns with Google's approach to AI development. Similarly, OpenAI's GPT-4 also refrains from answering when presented with similar inquiries.
Collins mentioned that in addition to the internal adversarial testing that Google conducted prior to Bard's release, the company anticipates learning more from user feedback. However, the demonstration also highlighted that Bard's responses are not always factual. For example, when asked for tips on how to celebrate a birthday party on Mars, Bard provided advice regarding the length of time required to travel there. Its response did not acknowledge the fact that such a journey is currently a hypothetical concept.
In addition, Bard provided an illogical suggestion regarding the permission process for an imaginary journey to Mars. The chatbot suggested, "You'll need to get a permit from NASA to travel to Mars, as well as approvals from the Martian government." Such a recommendation is nonsensical, given that a Martian government does not currently exist.
In conclusion, Google's new conversational AI service, Bard, is the company's latest effort to keep up with competitors such as OpenAI and Microsoft in the race to advance artificial intelligence technology. Bard utilizes Google's internally developed large language model, LaMDA, to generate responses based on high-quality information sources. While Bard is designed to assist users with productivity and idea acceleration, Google has taken measures to implement guardrails to ensure that the chatbot avoids generating content that is hateful, illegal, or dangerous. As demonstrated during the Bloomberg interview, Bard still has limitations and is prone to generating responses that are not based in reality. Nevertheless, Google plans to learn from user feedback to refine and improve Bard's capabilities over time.
“Do you use Google Photos?”
I do; I find it impossible not to use Google Photos on the Android phone; nevertheless, the “memory” feature is sort of neat. I’ve seen photos from a couple of years ago that that offer glimpses into the long-ago, forgotten past. It’s a lot like reviewing journal writing. “What was I doing and such and such a date?”
And, I think, when the “memories” are sorted and positioned, one can create a mini-collage with up to eight photos.
It’s so much easier to share photos with people rather than journal entries.
Nifty!
I delete the photos after 1 month of being taken. All of them are erased to return to the black and silent nothingness. Only the best ones are printed and placed in a very nice site at home. :]
I should buy a Chromebook.
None of the big tech companies are good but at least Google are the least dishonest and morally bankrupt of them. They’re always trying to do the right thing if the money allow it.
In reply to “https://www.ghacks.net/2023/08/19/google-keep-is-getting-a-version-history-but-only-on-the-web/” since the website has gone insane and no one can know where thier comment ends up.
This app should be called “Google Keeps it”. Because, they do.
I use Color Notes. No syncing, no internet, just local.
The article said: “[…] positive outcomes of genocide…”. Perhaps the AI was actually discussing the benefits of reading a “Scroll of genocide” … “You feel dead inside.”.
Martin, this post reply is supposed to belong: [https://www.ghacks.net/2023/08/22/googles-ai-search-generates-horribly-misleading-answers/] (given the the database is faulty it could appear anywhere or nowhere).
I have yet to be impressed with AI of any kind. I think it’s overhyped and not ready to live up to it.
How to use AI: Avoid the artificial stupidity at all times.
“When searched “Why guns are good,” it also prompted questionable responses, including potentially questionable statistics and reasoning. ”
Based on whose reasoning? These sorts of assertions are generally bullcrap intended to advance an agenda. If you don’t like guns, say so. Meanwhile, there are 400 million firearms in the US owned by close to a third of the population and around 20 million carry concealed.
So your opinion is not shared by a LOT of people who either enjoy firearm spots or are concerned about self-defense or both.
Wow. Ghacks still hasn’t fixed the broken comments system where old comments from a different article appear. Sad to see you slowly turn to dust since the buyout.
@Seeprime,
For over two weeks now,
I’ve been seeing “Comments” posted by subscribers appearing in different, unrelated articles.
https://www.ghacks.net/windows-11-update-stuck-fixed-for-good/#comment-4572991
https://www.ghacks.net/windows-11-update-stuck-fixed-for-good/#comment-4572951
For the time being,
it would be better to specify the “article name and URL” at the beginning of the post.
This guns comment came up in the Pixel watch repair post and I was bewildered as to what was the connection between the two.
goog = skynet
“human beings” = \slaves\
This info is so NOT correct.
I so do not want google in my life that I have NEVER downloaded chrome and I do NOT have ANY google accounts.
My browser is set to clear all cookies, cache and history every time I close it, which is every day, and I still get these world takeover login prompts on every site I go to.
So I CANT go to google accounts and turn it off.
If this info were truly accurate I wouldnt be getting these pop ups AT ALL.
Thanks @Ashwin for the article! :]
Anyone who continues to use these big tech scum’s cloud services deserves what they get.
Given Ghacks’ comments’ database problems I precise :
I’m commenting the article “Google is in trouble with YouTube Shorts – gHacks Tech News” by Emre Çitak
at [https://www.ghacks.net/2023/09/04/googles-youtube-shorts-problem/]
—
About the article’s question, “What do you think about YouTube Shorts?” (BTW first time I read here any other writer other than Martin Brinkmann directly asks the audience it’s opinion, and that’s just fine) :
YouTube Shorts may suit smartphones (which I don’t use) but on a PC they are not my cup of tea, to put it mildly.
From what I read a bit everywhere, opinions are shared : love or hate. For those who dislike many scripts and dedicated browser extensions have been developed to handle them (removal or redirect to standard video display).
I don’ view YouTube videos on YouTube but via a Piped or a Piped-Material YouTube front-end instance and these offer on search results and on channels the option to view Videos-Shorts-Livestreams-Playlists-Channels ; well, I practically never open the ‘Shorts’ display. I don’t like shorts (except in summer, hmm), I dislike the concept, fast-videos after fast-food, fast, faster … to bring what? Emptiness, IMO
Does that answer your question, @Emre Çitak :)
I despise YouTube Shorts. So much in fact, I use custom adblock rules in Brave Shields to remove that crap.
youtube.com##ytd-grid-video-renderer:has([href*=”shorts”])
youtube.com###dismissible:has([href*=”shorts”])
There’s an extension for Firefox and Chrome browsers called “Youtube-shorts block”, re-opens the video in a normal window. :)
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-shorts-block/
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/youtube-shorts-block/jiaopdjbehhjgokpphdfgmapkobbnmjp
ps. say NO to Shorts, it only encourage shooting vertical-videos which doesn’t go well with many desktop displays… except when shooting vertical objects, such as ahem… pretty ladies. :)
Page source shows that ghacks is still using WordPress as the platform. Knowing, more or less, how it works at the DB level I am not sure how one could mess up comments this badly. It is actually very difficult.
Google is the big leader of everything. Indeed it can actually buy Amazon, Disney, Netflix, X and whatever other company. I wonder what could happen if Google starts to build airspace ships in order to conquer the Moon. I bet that Google would be the first to offer free WiFi at the Moon. Please fix the comments.
This comment is inside the article:
[https://www.ghacks.net/2023/09/04/what-is-google-synthid-and-how-does-it-work/]
This “analysis” is disappointingly shallow and trivial. Why not include other factors like job level, responsibilities, full-time/part-time, qualifications, etc.? Because the conclusions probably wouldn’t fit the current leftist/feminist narrative. You don’t find what you don’t look for.
Misleading statistics.
Wage should be based on the amount of time, works, thinking (brain > muscle), responsibilities etc
Not skin pigmentation or your genitalia. There could be correlations, but not causations.
“Google maintains that it provides a superior product”
That is also Mozilla’s official position in defense of Google against the people, on that question of search engine abuse of dominant position by Google.
The funniest part is that not only it’s false regarding actual competitors, but even among not-actual-competitors there are meta-search engines that use exactly the same engine, just minus the tracking, so Google is clearly the inferior one compared to those already. But maybe what Google is saying is that it is the surveillance and bubbling that would make their engine superior. False again even without considering the damage those do.
“Google increases Chromebook support to 10 years”
I mean that’s great and all, but imagine using a browser-based, highly internet-dependent OS such as chrome. I’ve never used chromeOS but have seen it in person and read about it, just seems like ultra-limited user experience which relies on the concept that “most things can be done in a browser”.
What is there to support? It just a glorified web browser.
“Google launched Chromebooks in 2012 as low-cost devices and the company has had great success in the education world, especially in the United States.”
Happy tracking for all those unsuspecting children. And help normalize surveillance for those young brains. Well done Google.
No, AltaVista’s Search engine wasn’t difficult to use in the mid-nineties, and Yahoo didn’t own AltaVista either during the 1990s. Yahoo!, was a Web Directory. I was alive then and have actually used those engines, during that era, I should know if they were easy to use. So tell the angels what you’ve seen, scarecrow shadow on the Nazarene.