Google has rolled out its AI chatbot Bard, but it is only available to certain users who have to be over 18. Unlike its viral rival ChatGPT, it can access up-to-date information from the internet and has a “Google it” button that accesses searches.
Among the features of Google’s newly launched portal is namechecking its sources for facts, such as Wikipedia.
This is because it “learns” from real-world information, in which those biases currently exist – meaning it is possible for stereotypes and false information to show up in its responses.
Bard is a descendant of an earlier language model of Google’s called Lamda, which was never fully released to the public. It did, however, attract a lot of attention when one of the engineers who worked on it claimed its answers were so compelling that he believed it was sentient. Google denied the claims and he was fired.
AI chatbots are programmed to answer questions online using natural, human-like language. They can write anything from speeches and marketing copy to computer code and student essays.
Launched in November 2022, ChatGPT was used by more than one million users within a week, announced OpenAI. On the other hand, Microsoft has invested billions of dollars in it, incorporating the product into its search engine Bing last month. It has also unveiled plans to bring a version of the tech to its office apps
Google has been a slower and more cautious runner in the generative AI race with its version, Bard, which launches in the US and UK as a start. However, Google warned Bard would have “limitations” and said it might share misinformation and display bias.
