Google is to make its artificial intelligence available to the public, starting with its conversational service Bard, which will go head to head with OpenAI’s Chat GPT.
The company, which has been working on its AI products for some time now, said it would also begin implementing AI features in its search product and working on new Generative Language APIs, starting with LaMDA, to help developers, creators and enterprises build their own AI products in the future.
In a blog post, Google and Alphabet chief executive Sundar Pichai said AI was opening up new opportunities that could significantly improve billions of lives.
“Bard seeks to combine the breadth of the world’s knowledge with the power, intelligence and creativity of our large language models. It draws on information from the web to provide fresh, high-quality responses,” Mr Pichai said. “Bard can be an outlet for creativity, and a launch pad for curiosity, helping you to explain new discoveries from Nasa’s James Webb Space Telescope to a nine year old, or learn more about the best strikers in football right now, and then get drills to build your skills.”
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Bard is being made available to Google’s “trusted external testers” ahead of a wider rollout of the system.
Also on the cards are new AI-powered search features that will deliver insights for questions to which there is no one right answer.
“Learning about a topic like this can take a lot of effort to figure out what you really need to know, and people often want to explore a diverse range of opinions or perspectives,” Mr Pichai said.
“AI can be helpful in these moments, synthesising insights for questions where there’s no one right answer. Soon, you’ll see AI-powered features in Search that distil complex information and multiple perspectives into easy-to-digest formats, so you can quickly understand the big picture and learn more from the web: whether that’s seeking out additional perspectives, like blogs from people who play both piano and guitar, or going deeper on a related topic, like steps to get started as a beginner.”
Google began focusing on articifial intelligence six years ago, but the company has long-implemented machine learning in its Search facility, in addition to its research projects. However, the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT service has largely caught the industry by surprise.
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The testing of the Generative Language APIs for developers will begin next month, with individual developers, creators and enterprises getting access from next month. However, Google said it intended to create a suite of tools and APIs that would make it easy for others to build more innovative applications with AI.
However, with concerns about the influence of AI being debated in the public sphere, the company was quick to restate its pledge to approach AI responsibly, with consideration of the broader impact of the technology.
“We continue to provide education and resources for our researchers, partner with external governments and organisations to develop standards and best practices, and work with communities and experts to make AI safe and useful,” he said.
