Google's response to ChatGPT: Apprentice Bard, search bot, and more
What's the story
It is code red at Google. With OpenAI taking the reins of the AI revolution on the back of ChatGPT's success, the search engine giant has been pushed to the brink.
Google is not known for taking failures lightly. According to CNBC, the company is testing multiple AI-powered projects in its quest to launch a product that is a suitable response to ChatGPT.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Google's decision to take a measured approach to AI backfired when OpenAI launched ChatGPT. The chatbot, capable of producing original content and holding human-like conversations, took the world by storm.
Many believe that ChatGPT will be the answer to Google's dominance in search. A sense of panic has seemingly engulfed Google, forcing the company to come up with its own answers.
Code red
Google plans to launch 20 AI-based products this year
Earlier this month, the New York Times reported that Google CEO Sundar Pichai declared a "code red" and accelerated the development of AI products. The company plans to launch at least 20 AI products this year.
Now, CNBC has provided more information about some of these products, which include 'Apprentice Bard,' a ChatGPT-like chatbot based on Google's LaMDA large language model.
Clone
Apprentice Bard looks and functions like ChatGPT
CNBC reported that Google management asked the LaMDA team to prioritize the development of a response to ChatGPT over everything else.
Apprentice Bard reportedly looks and behaves like ChatGPT. A user can enter a prompt in a dialogue box and receive a response for the same. They can then give feedback on the bot's response.
Prowess
Google's chatbot is capable of answering about recent events
Based on samples of Apprentice Bard's answers seen by CNBC, the chatbot is capable of answering questions about recent events, which is an upgrade over ChatGPT. OpenAI's chatbot has only limited knowledge about things that happened after 2021.
When an employee asked Apprentice Bard whether Google will conduct another round of layoffs or not, the chatbot said that "it is unlikely."
New search page
Google is working on search page with question-and-answer format
Google is also reportedly working on a search page based on a question-and-answer format. The new format offers five potential prompts under the main search bar replacing "I'm feeling lucky."
When a user enters a question, the page generates human-like responses in gray bubbles. Underneath that, the page will display follow-up questions to the main query, followed by typical search results.
Others
Alphabet is working on a secret project under cloud unit
Per CNBC, Alphabet is working on a project called "Atlas" under its cloud unit.
This is reportedly part of the company's "code red" efforts. More details about this project are unavailable as of now.
The New York Times had previously reported that the company is also working on an image-generation tool and an upgraded version of the AI Test Kitchen, among others.