Google launches its own AI Chatbot

Google has launched its AI chatbot, Bard, for public testing in the United States and the United Kingdom. The chatbot generates essays, poems, and computing code on demand, similar to ChatGPT and other similar apps. According to Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Bard has been tested with 80,000 Google employees, and the chatbot will undergo further testing with the public in the US and UK as a "first step" before being rolled out to more countries and languages.

Bard is distinct from ChatGPT in that it can access and process information from the real world through Google Search, allowing for more consistent responses with search results. Furthermore, Bard is still under development, constantly learning, and improving, while ChatGPT has been released to the public and is unlikely to undergo significant changes.

Google has taken a more cautious approach in rolling out generative AI to consumers compared to Microsoft, which has made its products available despite reports of problems. ChatGPT is backed by Microsoft, and the company has financed OpenAI, ChatGPT's creator, with billions of dollars. OpenAI recently released an update of its AI technology known as GPT-4, which is available to the public via ChatGPT Plus, OpenAI's paid subscription plan, and an AI-powered version of Microsoft's Bing search engine.

While Microsoft has seen increased usage of its Bing search engine in recent weeks, it is still an underdog to Google, which captures about 85% of the global search engine market. As exciting as chatbots can be, Google has cautioned that they have their faults. According to Google Vice Presidents Sissie Hsiao and Eli Collins, feedback from users will be critical to improving the product and underlying technology. As Bard is tested by more people, Pichai stated that "they'll surprise us." He added, "things will go wrong," but user feedback will be essential in improving the chatbot.