Google has launched a new AI chatbot called Bard, but it is only available to certain users who are over 18 years old. Unlike its rival ChatGPT, Bard can access up-to-date information from the internet through a “Google it” button that accesses search. It also namechecks its sources for facts, such as Wikipedia. However, Google has warned that Bard would have limitations, including the possibility of sharing misinformation and displaying bias, as it “learns” from real-world information that currently contains biases.
AI chatbots are programmed to answer questions online using natural, human-like language, from speeches and marketing copy to computer code and student essays. When ChatGPT launched in November 2022, it had more than one million users within a week. Microsoft has also invested billions of dollars in it and incorporated it into its search engine Bing, with plans to bring a version of the tech to its office apps including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Bard is a descendant of Google’s earlier language model called Lamda, which was never fully released to the public. Google senior product director Jack Krawczyk said that Bard is “an experiment” and he hopes people will use it as a “launchpad for creativity”. He showed an example of how he had used Bard to help him plan his young child’s birthday party, finding a venue and suggesting party games and food.
While ChatGPT’s knowledge database only extends as far as the year 2021, Bard can access current information. It is programmed not to respond to offensive prompts and has filters to prevent it from sharing harmful, illegal, sexually explicit, or personally identifiable information. But “like any method these guardrails will occasionally fail”, said Zoubin Ghahramani, vice president of Google Research.
Google is cautious about the launch of Bard, and its approach is deliberate. Bard’s development adheres to Google’s own “AI principles,” which include avoiding the creation or reinforcement of bias. It will not be able to express opinions or take on a persona, but like ChatGPT, it will be able to mimic the writing styles of others. The responsibility and principles that come with the tech are significant, and Google will closely monitor Bard to ensure it complies with these principles.
