Google has just announced the launch of its conversational AI, Bard. Bard is Google’s response to the popular ChatGPT, which Microsoft is now using in its own products.
The tech giant rushed to release Bard, and it’s now ready for testing. Google is inviting users to test the AI, but as it notes, it can make mistakes.
When OpenAi launched ChatGPT to the public, the internet craze continues to this day. Generative AI remains a hot topic, and Microsoft and Alphabet, Google’s parent company, only fan the flames. Google has now well and truly entered the race by opening up Bard to regular users for testing purposes.
On the surface, Bard looks very much based on Microsoft’s Bing Chat and ChatGPT. There is a big difference though. While ChatGPT and Bing Chat both run on the GPT language model, Google’s AI is powered by LaMDA (Language Model for Dialog Applications), or rather a slimmed-down version of it. Google says that over time the model will eventually be replaced with newer versions.
Bard can be used for a variety of purposes – you can ask it about quantum physics and get a simple answer, use it to write or underline your blog posts and emails, and take you on your next fishing trip. Can give packing tips for. Google’s Sissie Hsiao and Allie Collins used it to help outline a blog post announcing the open beta, but they found it didn’t quite fit everything.
In fact, the Bard’s potential to make a mistake is put front and center during the announcement and in the AI itself. It is clear that Google may have to speed up the development of chatbots in order to be ready to compete with Microsoft. Microsoft is speeding up the integration of Bing Chat into its products, lifting the waiting list to try it out and adding it to Windows 11.
Bard may be making mistakes as it learns from users, but at least Google openly tells you so. Each query will invite the user to “Google it” to check whether Bard said the right thing. ChatGPT and Bing Chat make mistakes too, and the latter has said some truly unsolicited things, so it’s probably for the best that Google is warning people ahead of time.
How to try Google Bard
Bard is open to a limited number of users right now, and if you’re outside the US and UK, you won’t be able to try it out right now. However, if you’re in any of these countries, all you need to do is head over to Bard’s official website to sign up. You must sign in with your Google Account.
Now, Google will let you talk to the Bard as much as you want – there’s no limit to the number of daily chats. However, the number of exchanges in a chat will reportedly be capped so as not to allow the AI to go off-topic.
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