Google announces Bard A.I. in response to ChatGPT

Google has revealed its latest artificial intelligence (AI) technology called Bard, which is set to be rolled out in the coming weeks. The AI chatbot will be powered by Google's large language model, LaMDA, or Language Model for Dialogue Applications. The company has opened up the technology to a group of "trusted testers" before making it more widely accessible to the public.

Bard will be competing directly with OpenAI's AI service, ChatGPT, and Google has been testing some of its features with employees as part of its "code red" plan. The features include a chatbot called "Apprentice Bard" and new search desktop designs that can be used in a Q&A format.

According to CEO Sundar Pichai, Bard will be used to simplify complex topics and distill complex information into easy-to-digest formats. He used the example of explaining NASA's James Webb Space Telescope discoveries to a 9-year-old. The testing of Bard comes after an all-hands meeting where employees raised concerns about the company's competitiveness in AI due to the sudden popularity of ChatGPT.

Google has stressed the importance of rigorous testing, as the company has a significant "reputational risk" in providing wrong information. The company will be combining external feedback with its own internal testing to ensure that Bard's responses are of high quality, safe and grounded in real-world information.