(Reuters) – Alphabet Inc’s Google announced on Tuesday that it will equip its generative artificial intelligence, Bard, with the ability to fact-check its answers and analyze users’ personal Google data. This move comes as the tech giant aims to catch up to the popularity of ChatGPT, a chatbot developed by Microsoft-backed OpenAI.
ChatGPT, which was released last year, quickly gained traction and became one of the fastest-growing consumer applications. It is now ranked among the top 30 websites globally. In contrast, Bard has struggled to achieve the same level of success, only receiving 13% of the visits that ChatGPT garnered in August, according to website analytics firm Similarweb.
In an effort to make up ground in the rapidly evolving AI space, Google is introducing Bard Extensions. These extensions will allow users to import their data from other Google products. For instance, users will be able to ask Bard to search their files in Google Drive or provide a summary of their Gmail inbox. Presently, Bard can only pull information from Google apps, but Google is collaborating with external companies to connect their applications to Bard in the future, according to Google’s senior product director, Jack Krawczyk.
Bard is also addressing a common issue faced by generative AI, which is inaccurate responses, often referred to as “hallucinations.” The new feature in Bard will enable users to identify parts of its answers that differ from or align with Google search results. “We are presenting (Bard) in a way that it admits when it’s not confident,” said Krawczyk, emphasizing the intention to establish trust in generative AI by holding Bard accountable.
Moreover, Bard now offers a third new feature that allows users to invite others into their Bard conversations, enhancing collaboration and information exchange.
As of now, these updates aim to elevate Bard’s performance and user experience. With the integration of fact-checking capabilities, access to personal data, and enhanced transparency in its responses, Bard hopes to bridge the gap with ChatGPT and meet the growing demand for generative AI technology.
Reporting by Anna Tong in San Francisco; Editing by Lisa Shumaker
Credit: The Star : Tech Feed
