ChatGPT, the popular chatbot from OpenAI, has experienced explosive growth in popularity since its launch November 2022. According to a UBS study, it is projected to have amassed 100 million monthly active users in January, just two months after its inception, making it the fastest-growing consumer application in history.
The popularity of ChatGPT has also kicked off an A.I. arms race, with other companies such as Google and Microsoft investing heavily in their own A.I. projects. The success of ChatGPT has demonstrated the potential of A.I. technology and its ability to revolutionise the way we interact with computers and machines.
The success of ChatGPT also prompted OpenAI to launched ChatGPT Plus, a subscription service for the chatbot that promises a number of benefits.
The Straits Times reports that Alphabet Inc, the parent company of Google, announced that it will introduce a chatbot service and additional A.I technology for both its search engine and developers.
This move is in response to Microsoft’s own efforts in leading the new era of technology. The rapid acceptance of ChatGPT, a chatbot developed by Microsoft-supported OpenAI that generates human-like text, has raised expectations that it may change the way consumers search for information online, which is a crucial aspect of Google’s business.
In a blog post, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai stated that his company is launching a conversational AI service called Bard for testing and feedback from users, with plans for a public release in the near future.
He also announced that Google will integrate A.I features into its search engine to process complex queries such as “which is easier to learn, guitar or piano.”
Bard seeks to combine the breadth of the world’s knowledge with the power, intelligence and creativity of our A.I.
Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai.
The technology behind Google’s Bard is LaMDA (Language Model for Dialogue Applications), which generated text with such proficiency that a Google engineer once referred to it as “sentient,” though this claim was widely discredited by the company and scientists.
The distinction between Bard and ChatGPT remains unclear. Pichai stated that Bard utilizes information from the internet, while ChatGPT’s knowledge is current as of 2021. Google aims to use a version of LaMDA that requires less computing power to allow for better service to more users and to enhance the service through user feedback.
Google, on the other hand, plans to provide A.I-powered technology tools to creators and businesses starting next month, with LaMDA being the first and other AI to follow.
Google’s enhancements to its search engine, the timing of which has not been disclosed, demonstrate how the company is strengthening its service, while Microsoft is doing the same for Bing by incorporating OpenAI’s capabilities.
If you want to read more about Google’s Bard, you can go to Google’s blog post.
