Today, Tuesday, Google began the public release of its chatbot, Bard, in an effort to attract subscribers and gather feedback on the program as it enters the competition with ChatGPT, backed by Microsoft, in the world of artificial intelligence. Users in the United States and the UK can initially join a waiting list to access Bard, a program that was previously available to a select group of testers. Google describes Bard as an experience that facilitates collaboration with generative artificial intelligence, a technology based on previous data to create content rather than simply recognizing and identifying it.
The launch of ChatGPT, an automated chat program developed by the Microsoft-backed startup OpenAI, last year sparked a rapid race in the tech sector to make artificial intelligence available to more users. Indicating the intensifying competition in this fast-evolving field, Google and Microsoft released a series of artificial intelligence tools last week. These tools include draft-writing technology integrated into word processors and other collaborative software, as well as marketing tools for web developers to build their AI-based applications.
In response to a question about whether competition was the sole reason for Google launching the Bard bot, Google’s senior product director, Jack Krawczyk, stated that the company is focused on users. He added that both internal and external testers turned to Bard "to increase their productivity and accelerate their ideas." In a demonstration to Reuters, Krawczyk showcased how Bard generates entire texts in an instant, unlike ChatGPT, which writes answers word by word.
Bard also includes a feature that displays three different versions or "drafts" for any answer, along with a "Search Google" button for users wishing to obtain online results for any question they want an answer to. Unlike ChatGPT, Google stated on its website that Bard is not proficient in generating computer code. Additionally, it mentioned that it has limited Bard's memory of previous conversations, and it currently does not use the chatbot for advertising, which is central to its business model.
However, accuracy remains a concern. A notice during the demonstration warned that "Bard will not always understand correctly." Last month, a promotional video showed the program answering a question incorrectly, resulting in Alphabet, Google's parent company, losing $100 billion in market value.
