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Google’s new AI chatbot tool Bard, which has yet to be released to the public, is facing criticism for an inaccurate response it produced in a recent demo. In the demo, a user asks Bard about new discoveries from the James Webb Space Telescope and Bard responds with incorrect information. This has raised concerns about the reliability of AI-powered chatbots and their potential to spread inaccurate information.
What is Bard?
Bard is an AI chatbot tool developed by Google, built on a large language model trained on vast amounts of online data. The tool’s purpose is to generate compelling responses to user prompts in real-time.
The Blunder
In a demo posted by Google on Twitter, a user asks Bard about new discoveries from the James Webb Space Telescope. Bard responds with a series of bullet points, including one that reads “JWST took the very first pictures of a planet outside of our own solar system.” However, this statement is incorrect, as the first image of an exoplanet was taken by the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope nearly two decades ago in 2004.
The Impact
The inaccurate response from Bard led to a 7.7% drop in shares of Google’s parent company Alphabet, wiping off $100 billion from its market value. This highlights the challenge for Google as it tries to integrate AI technology into its core search engine. In an attempt to keep pace with the potential change in how people search online, Google risks damaging its reputation for surfacing reliable information.
Trusted Testers Program
To address the concerns about the potential spread of inaccurate information, Google announced that Bard will first be opened up to “trusted testers.” The company will combine external feedback with it is own internal testing to make sure that Bard’s responses meet a high bar for quality, safety, and accuracy.
Competition with ChatGPT
Google’s new AI chatbot tool is seen as a bid to compete with the viral success of ChatGPT, which has been used to generate essays, song lyrics, and responses to questions. The meteoric rise of popularity of ChatGPT has reportedly prompted Google to declare a :: code red :: situation for its search product.
The Future of AI-Powered Chatbots
Despite the recent blunder, Google remains confident in the potential of AI technology to radically change how people search for information online. In a recent presentation, a Google executive teased plans to use AI technology to offer more complex and conversational responses to queries, including providing bullet points ticking off the best times of this year to see various constellations and also offering pros and cons for buying an electric vehicle. The executive said AI technology would pave the way for the “next frontier of our information products.”
Conclusion
The recent blunder by Google’s AI chatbot tool Bard has raised concerns about the reliability of AI-powered chatbots and their potential to spread inaccurate information. However, Google remains confident in the potential of AI technology to revolutionize how people search for information online. The company’s trusted testers program will ensure that Bard’s responses meet a high bar for quality, safety, and accuracy.
FAQs
What is Bard?
Bard is an AI chatbot tool developed by Google, designed to generate compelling responses to user prompts in real-time.
What was the recent blunder by Bard?
In a recent demo, Bard gave an incorrect response to a user’s query about new discoveries from the James Webb Space Telescope.
What was the impact of Bard’s blunder?
The blunder led to a 7.7% drop in shares of Google’s parent company Alphabet.