Google has launched Bard, the search giant’s response to OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Microsoft’s Bing Chat. Unlike Bing Chat, Bard doesn’t search for search results – all the information it returns is generated by the model itself. But it’s still designed to help users think and answer questions. Google wants Bard to be an integral part of the Google search experience.
The company is making the chatbot available for free to early adopters who sign up on a waiting list to help test and improve the still-experimental technology.
But experts worry that using Bard as an experiment is a PR ploy used by big companies to reach millions of customers but absolve themselves of liability if things go wrong. Read the full story.
– Douglas Garden
Baidu’s ChatGPT competes with patient moderation
When Baidu unveiled Ernie Bot last week, ChatGPT’s first Chinese rival was met with an overwhelming wave of outrage. Chinese publications with trial access derided the chatbot’s performance, social media users mocked it, and Baidu’s stock fell 6.4 percent.
But since its launch last week, something surprising has happened: Ernie Bot’s reputation seems to have rebounded. More Chinese journalists have gained access to chatbots, and there is a general perception that Ernie Bot is probably good enough for the Chinese market. Read the full story.
