Google announces ChatGPT-like AI chatbot Bard: what is it, how it works, who can use it

Let us look closely at Google’s new conversational artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot.

What is Bard? How does it work?

Bard is a conversational AI service that is currently in the testing phase and is powered by LaMDA (Language Model for Dialogue Applications). It provides responses to current and high-quality queries by drawing on information from the Internet. Pichai describes Bard as “a creative outlet and a jumping-off point for inquiry”, allowing users to explain fresh discoveries from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to a 9-year-old or learn more about the finest strikers in football right now and then get workouts to improve their skills.

Pichai stated that the company would first release Bard on a ‘lightweight’ version of LaMDA, which will require substantially less computational power, allowing it to grow to more users and solicit more feedback.

How is Bard different from/better than ChatGPT?

Google’s Bard is an experimental AI service. On the other hand, ChatGPT was developed by Open AI, a startup AI research business. ChatGPT can only access data through 2021. Meanwhile, LaMDA from Google takes information from the Web to deliver responses. This may offer Bard an advantage when answering questions concerning recent occurrences.

How to access Google Bard?

Google Bard is currently unavailable for public testing, but select users have access. We can expect Google to gradually open the service to public. Google is releasing a “lightweight model version of LaMDA” which requires much less computing power, and will will help the company receive more feedback.

CEO Pichai also mentioned that users would soon be able to use AI-powered features in Google Search that condense complex data into simpler formats. Individual developers, creators, and corporations will be onboarded first so they may try the company’s Generative Language API, which will be powered by LaMDA at first, with various models to follow. Google said it aims to establish a suite of tools and APIs that will make it easier for people to build more inventive AI apps in the future. 

Google Bard vs ChatGPT

With Microsoft reportedly investing $10 billion in the startup AI research centre OpenAI, the tech giant’s flagship search company is facing new competition due to this revelation. Google’s management is said to have declared a “code red” scenario for its search company due to the enormous attention ChatGPT has received.