On 6th February, Google announced the release of Bard, its own AI chatbot, to compete with Microsoft’s ChatGPT in the rapidly growing market for AI-powered conversation. According to Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Bard seeks to combine the world’s knowledge with the power, intelligence, and creativity of large language models to provide fresh, high-quality responses to user questions.

“Bard seeks to combine the breadth of the world’s knowledge with the power, intelligence, and creativity of our large language models,” Google Chief Executive Sundar Pichai tweeted. “It draws on information from the web to provide fresh, high-quality responses.”

The release of Bard comes ahead of a Microsoft event, scheduled for Tuesday, that is expected to centre on ChatGPT, suggesting that the competition between the two tech giants is heating up.

Google’s LaMDA and the Large Language Model Revolution

The power behind Bard is Google’s Language Model for Dialogue Applications (LaMDA), a large language model. Large language models are AI technology that is trained on vast amounts of data from the internet and uses an AI mechanism called a transformer, which Google pioneered. Bard is based on a lightweight version of LaMDA, which uses less computing power, allowing it to scale to more people and provide additional feedback.

Google’s Goal for Bard

According to a Google spokesperson, Google’s goal with Bard is not to monetize it at the moment. The company wants to develop AI tools that send search traffic to creators and news publishers, prioritizing a healthy online ecosystem. The spokesperson added that feedback will be critical to meeting Google’s high bar for quality, safety, and groundedness in real-world information.

ChatGPT: A Game-Changer for AI-Powered Conversation

ChatGPT, which was released in November, has captured the imagination of millions of people due to its human-like responses and easy interface. It uses a large language model called GPT-3.5, which Microsoft plans to integrate into its technology. ChatGPT’s success across a range of activities, from writing software to passing exams to offering advice on how to remove a sandwich from a VCR in the style of the King James Bible, has propelled it into the spotlight.

The Emergence of AI Technology

AI technology is already all around us, helping with everything from flagging credit card fraud to translating speech into text messages. The large language model revolution in AI that resulted from the transformers tech has been particularly useful for language-specific systems like ChatGPT, Google’s LaMDA, and newer PaLM. Large language models are also used for other tasks, such as stacking boxes and processing genetic data to search for new drugs. They are particularly useful for generating text and answering questions.

Google’s Responsible AI and Machine Learning Program

Google is keen to tout its deep AI expertise and has a program focusing on responsible AI and machine learning (ML) technology. In a January post, Google Research Vice President Marian Croak said that “building ML models and products in a responsible and ethical manner is both our core focus and core commitment.” In general developing responsible AI and ML technology has become unavoidable in AI-powered communication and other technology.

The Future of AI-Powered Conversation

Bard, ChatGPT, and other AI chatbots represent the next step in how we interact with AI and technology, potentially changing everything from search to education to work. Google’s release of Bard and Microsoft’s expected announcement regarding ChatGPT integration into the Bing search engine signal that the AI chatbot war is only just heating up. With DeepMind, Google’s AI subsidiary, also considering a 2023 private beta test of an AI chatbot called Sparrow, it is clear that technology will become even more critical in our lives as we rely more on digital assistants and online tools.