Google today began the first public release of the AI chatbot Bard. The ChatGPT competitor – first announced in February – is still only available in English-speaking countries.
AI chatbot Bard
Only users in the United States and United Kingdom can still test Bard, via bard.google.com. There is an unknown waiting time. It is a more cautious rollout and, according to Google, it is an “early experiment” in getting users to work with the AI technology.
Like ChatGPT and Bing AI, Bard is a chatbot powered by artificial intelligence. Bard answers questions and, according to Google, uses “high-quality resources to provide up-to-date answers.” Bard also remembers your conversation, so you can continue to ask questions and build on previous answers.
According to Google, Bard is not designed to replace Google Search, instead it would be complementary. It seems that for the time being the AI is mainly ideal for inspiration and creativity. Here are a few sample functions that Google says Bard can perform:
- Explain why lightning could strike the same place twice
- Put together a packing list for a weekend away
- Write a blog post about summer mocktail recipes
- Explain why large language models can make mistakes
- Generate a slogan for art studios
- Suggest high-protein options to add to a vegan diet
First impression
Bee iPhoned we haven’t been able to test Bard yet, but first impressions have appeared online. The performance would be similar to ChatGPT. mashable writes that the AI is sometimes a bit repetitive with its word choices, like when writing an essay. However, Bard was very creative and good at generating ideas in the tests.
As with ChatGPT and Bing AI, the answers are not always reliable or based on reality. Bloomberg early Bard for tips on how to throw a birthday party on Mars. “It takes about nine months to get to Mars, so you need to start planning your trip well in advance,” was the answer. It did not point to the fact that such a journey is currently utopian.
Bard also came up with made-up answers about the consent process for such a trip. “You need a permit from NASA to travel to Mars, as well as approval from the Mars government,” Bard wrote. So there is still work to be done for Google, which has started a cautious rollout for a reason.
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