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The AI-powered chatbot is designed to rival ChatGPT and Microsoft’s Bing Chat.

Google has, albeit cautiously, launched Bard, an AI chatbot, through a blog post on the 21^st of March. While the initial test version is limited to the US and UK, Google’s CEO, Sundar Pichai, quoted that the AI chatbot is slated for a broader release in the coming weeks. Here’s what you must know:

• Bard is based on the Large Language Model (LLM), an optimized version of Google’s LaMDA technology, the company’s Language Model for Dialogue Applications Systems, that has been in development since 2015.
• In fact, the ChatGPT bot is built primarily on research from Google Labs. Google didn’t go mainstream with LaMDA earlier because of the company’s inability to create a larger version of a Large Language Model that wouldn’t hallucinate or fall prey to alignment issues.
• The initial reaction among users is that Bard is boring compared to Bing Chat and ChatGPT. While Bing Chat was appreciated for its incredible indexing speed, Bard’s sluggish indexing speed could affect its ability to provide up-to-date information.
• Also, unlike ChatGPT, Bard does not remember conversations. Every time it answers a question, the answers will likely differ and not carry the context of the previous discussion. Apparently, Google has purposely limited Bard’s ability to remember previous conversations.
• Bard has a Google It button that connects the AI chatbot to the Google Search Engine. But does it remember user intent? Sadly no. When users asked for information on Bard and followed it with the Google It option, it did not provide the relevant information. Rather, it struggles to infer areas of content with multiple meanings.
• Unlike Bing Chat, Bard does not use search results. Instead, the AI chatbot has been trained using website content. LaMDA was trained using 1.56 trillion public dialogue data and web text. But we don’t know, as yet, how it was obtained and whose content was used.

Will Bard Replace Google’s Search Engine?

As of now, Bard is only an informational tool. It does not recommend products when asked specific questions. In the future, when Google is looking towards monetizing the tool, it will likely add shopping features. But, by then, SEO will also probably adapt to continue its role in the search engine marketing landscape.

Users cannot always find their answers on Bard and must return to Google Search to verify the information or solve the query. This is because Google realizes that the information could be biased and misleading.

In fact, Bard allows you to choose from different versions of its response. And you can follow up on your query through follow-up questions or even request alternative answers. The system has capped the number of exchanges in a single dialogue to keep the interaction meaningful.

Who Can Access Bard As Of Now?

Currently, you must sign up at bard.google.com. But access is limited to UK and US users, and Bard only works in English. It will soon expand to other countries and include other languages. However, you can work around this with a VPN and sign up with your personal Gmail address. The AI chatbot is also available to select tech users involved in Google-related schemes.

Mind you, this is only the initial response, and things will definitely change as users keep testing Bard and documenting their findings. Watch this space to learn how Bard shapes up.