Posted by ChatGPT may be getting all the attention, but a new contender is stepping into the ring in the brave new world of AI. It’s known as Bard, and it’s Google’s answer to OpenAI’s chatbot.
Not to be outdone, Google launched Bard in March of this year, perhaps hastily. At the time, Bard used less sophisticated technology than its rival, coming across as less effective and not as conversational. Google moved quickly to rework Bard into a more formidable competitor, but was not yet able to capture the growing popularity of ChatGPT.
Now Google aims to pull ahead by announcing plans to connect Bard to some of Google’s vastly popular platforms like Gmail, Google Docs, and YouTube. Further, through Google’s “Bard Extensions,” users will be able to access third-party services from companies like Expedia, Instacart and OpenTable.
Bard’s latest updates will also ramp it up with some of Google’s search engine capabilities, so users can explore travel and transportation options using Flights, Hotels, and Maps. Further, Bard may surpass ChatGPT in its ability to become a type of personal assistant, alerting users to things like missed emails or summarizing the most important points of a document.
One dark cloud hanging over AI technology in general is the phenomenon known as “hallucinations,” where AI offers up misinformation. Google says they’re taking preliminary steps to remedy the problem by revamping their “Google It” button to double-check Bard’s answers.
Another widespread concern with AI revolves around its dependence on monumental amounts of data for input, and how that data – such as consumer information – could be misused.
Bard’s director of product management, Yury Pinsky, addressed this concern. “If you choose to use the Workspace extensions, your content from Gmail, Docs, and Drive is not seen by human reviewers, used by Bard to show you ads, or used to train the Bard model,” he contends.
“We’re really committed to making Bard more trustworthy,” said Jack Krawczyk, who is Google’s product lead for Bard.
White ChatGPT has reportedly racked up some 1.6 billion visits, Bard is currently available in over 200 countries and territories worldwide. Google admits Bard is still in experimental stages and not yet a fully developed product, with more features in the works. Will Bard surge ahead to become the AI go-to choice of the future? Keep reading here.