Bard is supposed to save Google from being rolled over by ChatGPT which was recently bought by Microsoft. Bard is powered by LaMDA, the company's AI that can generate prose so human-like that a company engineer last year called it sentient - a claim the technology giant and scientists widely dismissed and resulted in him being fired.
Both AI's are likely to disappoint companies who hope to be able to fire a few staff and replace them with software. Bard has one advantage over ChatGPT in that it has a database based on Google's huge internet search capabilities. However, it was packed full of the sort of unfiltered collective intelligence based on the thoughts of those who lack opposable thumbs. In otherwords, it provides answers that are racist, homophobic and sexist and calls you "woke" and tells you that you need to study history or the bible if you disagree with the search.
In the tests we carried out, ChatGPT was just wrong in the information it served up. My cat provided more accurate information, and I don't own a cat.
While both have technology is interesting, it seems to be pushed by those who do not understand its limits. It is not AI, but a glorified database search and really dangerous to rely on. Google's Translate AI software has been responsible for lots of human translators collecting their P45's but machine translated text is so terrible it is only a matter of time before a company is sued over using it.
If search comes down to ChatGPT or Bard then things could go the same way. Lots of layoffs and then a horrific discovery that the software cannot do what it claims.
Alphabet chief executive Sundar Pichai said that he is installing more artificial intelligence in the company's search engine and will be requiring its developers to use it.
He wrote: "It's a really exciting time to be working on these technologies as we translate deep research and breakthroughs into products that truly help people. That's the journey we've been on with large language models. "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 nine-year-old, or learn more about the best strikers in football right now, and then get drills to build your skills."