Google has introduced Bard, an innovative AI chat service that competes with OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Designed to provide high-quality responses, Bard extracts information from the web, setting it apart from other AI chatbots.
From LaMDA to Bard: Google’s AI Evolution
Announced on February 6 by Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, Bard is powered by Google’s Language Model for Dialogue Applications (LaMDA), which was unveiled two years earlier. LaMDA is based on Google’s Transformer neural network architecture, which was open-sourced in 2017. Notably, GPT-3, the foundation for ChatGPT, also relies on the Transformer architecture.
Initially, Bard will use a lightweight version of LaMDA to ensure scalability and require less computing power. Unlike ChatGPT and Bing Chat, Bard’s distinctive approach of obtaining information from the web sets it apart from AI chatbots based on the GPT series of large language models (LLMs).
Bard’s Rollout and Waitlist
Google opened the Bard waitlist on March 21, 2023, with limited access for users in the US and UK. The tech giant plans to gather user feedback to refine the chatbot before expanding its availability.
To join the Bard waitlist, users can visit the homepage, sign in with their Google account, accept the terms and conditions, and await further instructions.
Controversies and Growing AI Chatbot Market
Google Bard faced scrutiny during its launch when it provided inaccurate information about the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) in a demo. This incident underscored the importance of thorough testing, which Google addressed through its Trusted Tester program. Additionally, Google’s LaMDA faced controversy following claims by a former Google engineer that the technology might be “sentient.” Google denied these claims and terminated the engineer’s employment.
The launch of Bard comes as AI chatbots like ChatGPT gain popularity, with ChatGPT amassing over a million users within a week of its release. Major tech companies, including Google and Microsoft, are investing in AI chatbot development to establish a presence in this rapidly growing market.
Google’s Other AI Endeavors
Google has also developed other unreleased AI services, such as Imagen, an AI image generator competing with OpenAI’s DALL-E, and MusicLM, an AI music generator. Concerns over performance, misuse of creative content, biases in training data, and cultural appropriation issues motivate Google’s cautious approach to releasing AI products.
