Google has unveiled its experimental conversational artificial intelligence (AI) service called Bard, which is set to rival Open AI’s ChatGPT.
The new AI-powered chatbot is based on Google’s existing LaMDA technology, which is the company’s language model for dialogue applications.
To kick things off, Google will open up Bard to a team of trusted testers, ahead of making it widely available to the public in the coming weeks.
1/ In 2021, we shared next-gen language + conversation capabilities powered by our Language Model for Dialogue Applications (LaMDA). Coming soon: Bard, a new experimental conversational #GoogleAI service powered by LaMDA. https://t.co/cYo6iYdmQ1
— Sundar Pichai (@sundarpichai) February 6, 2023
How does Bard work?
“Bard seeks to combine the breadth of the world’s knowledge with the power, intelligence and creativity of our large language models,” said Google CEO Sundar Pichai
The company is initially launching Bard with its lightweight version of LaMDA which requires less computational power, making it accessible to more people.
Pichai added: Bard can be an outlet for creativity, and a launchpad for curiosity, helping you to explain new discoveries from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to a 9-year-old, or learn more about the best strikers in football right now, and then get drills to build your skills.”
AI-wars are on
Bard’s unveiling comes weeks after Microsoft invested billions into OpenAI in a multiyear deal that will see the software giant become OpenAI’s exclusive cloud provider.
In response to the unveiling, Microsoft has also called for a news event, minutes after Google made Bard official, which is to be held today.
Microsoft’s response Bard will come in the form of ChatGPT integration into Bing search results, which the company says will provide “complete answers” to real questions.
The Microsoft event will also be held a day before Google holds its own event about search and AI on February 8.