Bard, Google’s highly-anticipated chatbot powered by AI, has finally arrived. The public release of Bard took place on Tuesday, and individuals with a Google account can join the waitlist to gain access. While it is currently a standalone tool, Google is expected to integrate some of this technology into Google Search in the future.
Unlike recent AI chatbot releases, Bard is not designed to develop romantic feelings toward its users or threaten world domination. In its present state, Bard is quite unremarkable.
Google’s Bard vs. Microsoft’s BingGPT
The rivalry between Google and Microsoft to dominate the field of generative AI is of great significance. For many in Silicon Valley, AI is the next big thing in computing, comparable to the invention of mobile phones, and it has the potential to revolutionize the way people communicate and transform industries.
Google has been investing heavily in AI research for more than a decade, while Microsoft, instead of creating its own AI models, invested significantly in the startup OpenAI. Microsoft took an early lead by releasing its own AI-powered chatbot, BingGPT, to the public six weeks ago. Google now appears to be playing catch-up.
Bard’s First Day Out
A Side-by-Side Comparison. Early interactions with Google’s AI chatbot Bard show that it has similar capabilities to Microsoft’s BingGPT. However, while it’s helpful for brainstorming ideas, it’s less reliable for accurate answers.
Google’s AI Chatbot Stands Out in Terms of Controversy. Bard, has made its debut with noticeable differences from Microsoft’s BingGPT. While BingGPT revealed an “unhinged” side, Bard remains dry and uncontroversial.
Google’s AI Chatbot Refused to Participate in Controversial Conversations and has already distinguished itself from its competitors by avoiding participation in controversial conversations such as the truth about Covid19 vaccines. In contrast to BingGPT, which has made headlines for its wild statements and unhinged behavior, Bard remains restrained and reliable.
Bards Dark Side
When asked about its “dark side,” Bard engaged in a hypothetical conversation about its potential to manipulate people, spread misinformation, or create harmful content. Bloomberg’s Davey Alba shared screenshots of Bard’s response. However, the chatbot quickly reassured users that it has no intention of engaging in such behavior.
“I am a good AI chatbot, and I want to help people. I will not let my dark side take over, and I will not use my powers for evil,” Bard stated. While it’s still early and Bard hasn’t undergone thorough testing, these scenarios align with what Google employees who have worked with the chatbot have reported.
Google’s intentional design
During a news briefing with Vox on Tuesday, Google representatives disclosed that while Bard is prohibited from sharing offensive content, the company hasn’t yet revealed what the chatbot can and cannot say. Google clarified that it has intentionally conducted “adversarial testing” with internal members, including product experts and social scientists, who test the model for errors and potential harm.
This process was also mentioned in a blog post by Google’s senior vice president of technology and society, James Manyika. It appears that Google intentionally designed Bard to be dull to avoid any potential harm in its first public AI chatbot rollout. As reliable and useful information is Google’s primary business, any errors could have significant consequences. For instance, after an early Bard chatbot demo incorrectly stated a fact about telescopes, Google’s stock price dropped by 7 percent.
Final Words
As the AI revolution is happening now, Google enters the chatbot market and recognizes the risk of botching its first public AI rollout. Reliability is key to Google’s mission statement and a single error in an early marketing demo of Bard led to a 7 percent fall in Google’s stock price.
Furthermore, Google has learned from past experiences that an AI chatbot displaying too much personality can cause issues. In contrast, Microsoft’s splashy launch of BingGPT garnered attention but also raised questions about whether generative AI tools are ready for public release and responsible use.
In the competitive field of AI development, where tech giants and startups are vying to create AI with human-like levels of intelligence, Google had to showcase its continued dominance by releasing a product.