Google announced plans Monday to launch a chatbot that will rival OpenAI’s ChatGPT. This is as Google seeks to make up ground in the race for powerful, language-based AI to the internet search industry.
This announcement comes two months after OpenAI attracted worldwide attention with its chatbot. It demonstrated an easier way for users to search for answers than traditional search engines like Google.
Microsoft recently announced a multibillion-dollar investment in OpenAI. is currently preparing to use its AI to power its Bing search engine. This could potentially beat Google in the race for the most important new technology in search.
Google promised a variety of steps that would make its most advanced AI accessible to developers and internet users, but did not specify when they would be available. This left Google scrambling for a way to catch up to a few companies that use the technology.
Sundar Pichai, the chief executive, attempted to seize some of the initiative from OpenAI/Microsoft by writing a blog on Monday. He pointed out that ChatGPT and other -generative AI services that produce images or text were created at Google.
Google has been slow to embed its most advanced AI in its services despite its research leadership. This is because it was concerned that it might produce misleading outcomes. Ex-engineers also claim that Google has been held back due to its bureaucratic approach in product development and a refusal to launch new features that could reduce the profitability of its current search service.
Pichai promised Monday that a chatbot named Bard would be available to internet users. It will allow them access to Google’s most powerful, language-based AI system LaMDA. Pichai announced it as a separate service, under its own brand. This signaled that Google would not allow the chatbot interface to be integrated with its search engine.
It is much more costly to use AI to “read” web pages to provide a direct answer than a traditional internet search. The Google chief stated that Bard will use a lighter version of LaMDA, which “requires significantly more computing power” in an apparent attempt to lower profits.
Pichai stated that Google would use AI to answer complex queries within its search engine without users having to go through many websites. He also stated that Google would make APIs available to LaMDA to allow developers to create their own services that use the language AI. This is in an attempt to match OpenAI.
Perplexity AI, Neeva and many other search start-ups have already integrated advanced language technology from OpenAI or other companies into their services. This allows them to either provide more detailed answers or replace search results pages with chatbots like ChatGPT.