Google unveils its own AI-powered chatbot “Bard”

For more than three months, Google executives watched as the Microsoft and OpenAI startup ignited the imagination of Internet users with ChatGPT and the AI ​​capabilities of chatbots.

Today, Google stepped out of the spotlight, revealing its very own automated chatbot called Bard. The new chatbot will initially be available to a limited number of users in the US and UK, and will gradually become available to users from other countries, with more language options.

This is the company’s first step in responding to the rise of chatbots, led by OpenAI and Microsoft. Google that wants to prove that it has similar technical capabilities, Bard is provided as a standalone service and is not part of the search engine.

Like other chatbots, Bard is based on a large language model, an artificial intelligence technology that learns new skills by analyzing huge amounts of data from the Internet. This means that chatbots often get facts wrong and sometimes fabricate information that has nothing to do with reality – A phenomenon that AI researchers call “hallucinations”..

Google confirmed that it had taken the necessary steps to curb this behavior, but acknowledged that its controls were not entirely effective.

The AI ​​said no

When executives pitched the chat show on Monday, The system refused to answer a medical question because that requires accurate and correct information. The bot also gave false information about its provenance, getting an answer about the American Revolution.

In a disclaimer within Bard’s question box, Google warns users of potential issues that may arise: “Bard may display inaccurate or offensive information that does not reflect Google’s views.” The company also provides users with three answer options for each question and allows them to take turns giving feedback on the usefulness of Bard’s answers.

Google has been experimenting with Bard’s technology since 2015, but so far has only allowed access to a small group of “testers” because, like OpenAI and Microsoft chatbots, it doesn’t always provide reliable information and can still be biased against women or minorities.

“We know the problems very well – we have to responsibly attribute them to the market,” said Eli Collins, vice president of research at Google. Collins and Sissy Hsiao, Google’s vice president of products, said in an interview that the company has not yet determined how it will monetize Bard.

Artificial intelligence in applications

Google announced last week that AI will be built into productivity apps like Docs and Sheets that companies pay to use. The underlying technology will also be put up for sale to companies and software developers looking to build their own chatbots or run new applications.

“This technology is still in its infancy,” Hsiao said. “We are exploring how these experiences can be linked to different products.”

The recent announcements are the beginning of Google’s plan to introduce more than 20 artificial intelligence products and features, as reported by The New York Times.

Rather than being integrated with its own search engine, Bard is a standalone website with a question box. At the bottom of each answer is a “Google it” button, which takes users to a new tab with the traditional Google search results for the given query.

Google executives introduced Bard as a creative tool designed to write emails, poems, and guide parents on topics such as children’s hobbies. The company wants to look at how technology can be used to improve the chatbot based on usage and feedback.

“We see Bard as a complement to Google Search,” said Hsiao. “We want to be bold in how we innovate with this technology as well as responsible.”

Source: The New York Times

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