Called "Apprentice Bard," the chatbot is based on Google's free-flowing conversational AI called LaMDA, or "Language Model for Dialogue Applications." It's unclear if or when Google could roll out the AI service.
- Like ChatGPT, users of Google's service would type in a prompt, and the AI would generate a text response.
- Unlike ChatGPT, Apprentice Bard appears to be able to answer questions about current events.
- CNBC reportedly viewed an internal example wherein the Google service answered a question about Alphabet's recent layoffs.
- By comparison, ChatGPT is limited to data up through 2021.
Chatbot in search:
- Additionally, CNBC claims that Google is internally testing an experimental search page that uses the AI chat technology.
- The desktop page relies on a Q&A format. It replaces the "I'm Feeling Lucky" button under the search bar with five possible question prompts.
- Once a user types in a query, the program delivers human-like responses in gray-colored bubbles.
- It also suggests follow-up questions and posts the usual search result link below that.
- Meanwhile, Google is said to be working on a cloud project named "Atlas" that's related to the search giant's new prioritization of AI.
- In December, Google executives issued a "code red" to teams to refocus their efforts toward AI as it faces a potential threat over ChatGPT.
- During an all-hands meeting that month, executives said the company is taking a conservative approach to deploying AI tech in its web search.
- Google has a "reputational risk" at stake given the more than 1 billion people who rely on its search engine, they noted.
