Google has announced that its world-leading search bar will now feature a generative technology AI if you live in the United States. Called “Google Search Generative Experience,” or SGE for short, rollouts for it began on the morning of May 25. Not only that, but Google Search users will also get access to Google’s “Search Labs” too. But you’ll need to sign up for a waiting list to be one of the first users of the new services.
Recently unveiled at Google I/O 2023, Google SGE is an innovative integration of conversational AI into the traditional search experience. If you’ve ever used Bing AI, you’ll find that Google’s product is familiar, but it does have its own unique properties too.
According to a preview on Engadget, Google’s AI-powered search still utilizes the same input bar as before, rather than a separate chatbot field like Bing. However, the generative AI results now appear in a shaded section beneath the search bar (but above sponsored results) and above the standard web results. A button on the top right of the AI results allows users to expand the snapshot, adding cards that display sourced articles. Also, users can ask follow-up questions by simply tapping a button below the results.
Google describes the snapshot as “key information to consider, with links to dig deeper.” Imagine a slice of Bard that has been integrated, relatively seamlessly, into the Google search you’re already familiar with.
“This experiment is our first step in adding generative technology AI to Search, and we’ll be making many updates and improvements over time. As we continue to reimagine how we can make it even more natural and intuitive to find what you’re looking for, we’re excited for you to test out these new capabilities and share feedback along the way,” says Google.
As previously mentioned, Google is also expanding access to its “Search Labs,” which now include “Code Tips” and “Add to Sheets” functions. Again, like its generative AI, these are currently only available in the US.
“Code Tips” uses large language models to provide guidance for more efficient and effective coding. This feature allows aspiring developers to ask questions about programming languages like C, C++, Go, Java, JavaScript, Kotlin, Python, and TypeScript, as well as tools like Docker, Git, shells, and other algorithms. “Add to Sheets,” on the other hand, allows users to directly insert search results into Google’s spreadsheet application. Simply tapping on the Sheets icon next to a search result displays a list of recent documents, from which users can select the one they want to attach the result to.
Pretty neat, we must say.
To join the “Search Labs” waitlist, simply click on the Labs icon (represented by a beaker symbol) on a new tab while using Chrome on a desktop or within the Google search app on Android or iOS. It’s important to note that the timeline and scope of availability have not been disclosed by the company, so for those not in the US, you’ll just have to wait a little longer.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has seamlessly integrated into almost every aspect of our lives, and search engines are no exception.
Just recently, the emergence of ChatGPT, a sophisticated language model developed by OpenAI, demonstrated the potential of AI in generating human-like text and engaging in meaningful conversations. This breakthrough laid the foundation for AI integration in search engines.
Leading the search engine industry, Google has introduced an AI-powered update to its core search product, aiming to strengthen its competitiveness against Microsoft’s Bing search, which utilizes OpenAI technology.
While Google already features its own AI chatbot called Bard, Google AI Search leverages AI to enhance the precision and relevance of search results. As a result, it remains the preferred choice for informational queries and locating specific information online.
On the other hand, Bard, with its chatbot persona and conversational capabilities, is specifically designed for creative collaboration. It enables users to engage in human-like conversations and harness AI-generated assistance for tasks like writing code.
As Google and its competitors continue to innovate in AI-powered search, it becomes essential to explore the advantages and limitations of Google AI Search and Bard, as well as their similarities, differences, and use cases. By examining their unique features and capabilities, we can gain valuable insights into how these AI tools can enhance our access to information in today’s digital era.
The Evolution of Search Engines
Before we dive into the day’s discussion, let’s go on a short trip down memory lane and review the history of search engines across the past decades as it evolves alongside the rapid advancement of technology.
From the early days of basic keyword-based searches to the emergence of AI-powered search engines, search engines have revolutionized how we navigate the vast expanse of the internet.
The birth of search engines can be traced back to 1990 when the first search advance was “Archie”. Developed by Alan Emtage, it made it possible to search through a site’s file directories. Afterward, we saw the development of Veronica, a service from the University of Nevada System Computing Services that provided searches for plain text files, and Gopher, which made it possible to search through online databases and text files.
After the creation of the World Wide Web, there were advances such as the WWW Virtual Library, created by Tim Berners-Lee, and the initial iteration of Yahoo. But these weren’t search engines as we know them. They were human-assembled catalogs of helpful web links. They used simple indexing techniques to organize and retrieve information. These primitive search tools were limited in their capabilities and often struggled to deliver relevant results.
As the internet expanded exponentially, search engines underwent a significant transformation with the introduction of web crawlers. These used automatic programs, called robots or spiders, to request webpages and report their findings to a database.
In 1994, an early recognized crawler search engine, WebCrawler, employed crawling technology to index web pages, allowing users to search for specific keywords across various websites. This marked a significant milestone in the evolution of search engines. By mid-1994, Lycos became the first search engine to have a whole page search for more than a million pages.
In the subsequent years, we witnessed the dominance of search engines like Yahoo! and AltaVista, which adopted a keyword-based search approach. Users were required to input specific keywords or phrases to retrieve relevant results. AltaVista also gave users the first successful Boolean search options.
In 1998, Google burst onto the scene, introducing a groundbreaking algorithm called PageRank. This innovation revolutionized search engines by ranking web pages based on relevance and popularity. Google’s efficient indexing methods and emphasis on delivering high-quality search results propelled it to become the dominant search engine worldwide.
Over the years, search engines have evolved significantly, incorporating increasingly complex algorithms to provide more accurate and relevant search results.
More recently, AI-powered search engines have taken search to a new level. These search engines utilize machine learning algorithms to analyze vast amounts of data, learning from user behavior and feedback to deliver personalized and highly relevant results.
Google AI Search
Google is now transforming its traditional search functionalities with generative AI. During the 2023 Google I/O, Google Search AI was announced.
With this new tool, Google Search aims to provide users with more conversational and contextually relevant answers instead of a traditional list of links.
The generative AI in Google Search, known as Search Generative Experience (SGE), is an experiment that adds AI-powered snapshots of key information to the search results. The AI snapshots will give users a text response to search queries and other relevant information.
Google also introduces a Conversational mode, allowing users to ask follow-up questions and engage in a more interactive dialogue with the search engine. This feature, reminiscent of Microsoft’s Bing Chat AI, enables users to refine their search queries and obtain more specific and tailored information.
The SGE experiment is being rolled out, and interested users in the United States can sign up for the Google Labs SGE experiment waitlist to participate and explore the new AI-powered search experience. As this experiment progresses, users can anticipate a more dynamic, personalized, and engaging search journey powered by AI technology.
This video showcases a version of Google Search that AI has completely taken over.
Google’s demonstration at I/O offers a glimpse into the approaching future of search, where AI-driven search engines are poised to become the go-to resource for users.
Benefits of Using Google Search AI
As Google integrates AI technology to enhance the user search experience, here are a few reasons why you might want to give Google Search AI a try.
Improved Understanding and Insights: Google Search AI will help users understand topics faster. Rather than manually sifting through vast information on the Internet, Google Search AI will provide relevant and concise summaries, allowing users to understand key points and gain new insights quickly.
Streamlined Shopping Experience: Google Search AI aims to facilitate shopping decisions. When searching for a product, users receive a snapshot highlighting essential factors to consider and presenting relevant products. This will include comprehensive product descriptions with reviews, ratings, prices, and images.
Enhanced Decision Making: Google Search AI will help in making decisions. Whether choosing a destination for a family vacation or a course to study at the university, Google Search AI will provide users with sufficient information to make a good decision more quickly and efficiently.
Conversational Search: With Google Search AI, you can ask questions and interact with tools like Chatbots.
Stay Updated: Google’s AI-powered search has access to vast amounts of information, ensuring you have the latest and most accurate information.
Limitations of Search AI
With Google’s incorporation of generative AI and LLMs into its Search AI, there are certain limitations to be aware of. These limitations primarily stem from the experimental nature of the Search Generative Experience (SGE) and the inherent characteristics of the underlying models.
Here are some notable limitations and challenges:
Misinterpretation: In some cases, SGE may identify relevant information to support its snapshot but could misinterpret language, resulting in a slight change in the meaning of the output.
Hallucination: Google’s SGE occasionally provides inaccurate or ‘made up’ information or misrepresents facts and insights.
Bias: Google’s SGE aims to corroborate responses with high-quality resources. This could introduce biases in the highly ranked results, similar to those observed in traditional search results.
Opinionated content implying persona: Although Google’s SGE is designed to maintain a neutral and objective tone, sometimes its output may reflect opinions on the web that could give an impression of the model displaying a persona.
Duplication or contradiction with existing Search features: Since SGE is integrated alongside other search results, its output may appear contradictory to additional information on the search results page.
Google acknowledges these limitations and continues to refine and improve the models through ongoing updates and fine-tuning.
As SGE evolves, these limitations should be addressed to enhance the overall search experience and mitigate any potential drawbacks of generative AI in Search.
Bard
Bard is an AI chatbot developed by Google, similar to the popular ChatGPT.
With Bard, users can tap into its creative capabilities and utilize its vast knowledge to generate code snippets, solve math problems, and more. It’s like having a helpful companion or a virtual problem solver.
Like the Search AI, Bard is powered by Google’s advanced large language model (LLM) called PaLM 2. However, it does not have the web-browsing capabilities of traditional Google Search. Yet, it shines in its ability to provide human-like text based on its given prompts.
You can engage in conversations with Bard, and it will respond with informative and comprehensive answers, drawing from its extensive training on a massive amount of text data.
Bard AI defines itself as “I am Bard, a large language model, also known as a conversational AI or chatbot trained to be informative and comprehensive. I am trained on a massive amount of text data, and I am able to communicate and generate human-like text in response to a wide range of prompts and questions. For example, I can provide summaries of factual topics or create stories.”
Benefits of Using Bard
Here are a few benefits of using Bard AI:
Updated Information: Unlike other AI chatbots, Bard leverages the power of Google Search to provide up-to-date information from the web. This feature proves invaluable for research purposes and gathering the most recent data on various topics.
Human-Like Conversations: Bard excels in understanding natural language prompts, whether entered through text or spoken commands. It engages in conversations that closely resemble human interactions, making it a user-friendly chatbot. Its conversational capabilities rival those of ChatGPT and Bing Chat.
Specific Generative Capabilities: Bard is capable of creative writing. It can generate content in diverse styles and formats, from news articles and blog posts to letters and email messages.
Voice Command Support: Google Bard accepts voice commands, making it more convenient and accessible. Users can utilize the microphone option to input prompts to the chatbot. This feature differentiates it from OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which lacks native voice command support.
Limitations of Bard
Despite the benefits of Bard AI, there are a few limitations:
Creativity Limitations: While Bard possesses creative writing abilities, it is not always consistently creative. Some of its responses may lack originality or may not directly address the questions asked. It can produce ambiguous or irrelevant answers or unoriginal content.
No Citations: Bard can generate factual information and provide relevant answers, which can be helpful for research purposes. However, Bard does not cite its sources or provide links to validate the data it generates, so users are tasked with verifying the information provided by Bard.
Inconsistencies: Bard may provide inconsistent and incorrect responses, confusing users. Users should be aware of these inconsistencies and carefully evaluate the reliability of any information received from Bard.
Hallucinations: Bard has been criticized, including by Google employees, for providing not only false answers to queries but also dangerous advice. Bard has also been found to be less useful than Bing or ChatGPT in some tests.
Comparison of Google AI Search and Bard
Google AI Search and Bard are two distinct AI-powered search engines developed by Google. While they share some similarities, they also have notable differences in functionalities and use cases.
Key Similarities between Google AI Search and Bard:
AI-Powered: Both Google AI Search and Bard utilize artificial intelligence to enhance the search experience and generate relevant information.
Conversational Abilities: Both search engines have conversational capabilities, allowing users to ask questions and receive detailed responses.
Integration with Google’s Advanced LLM: Both search engines leverage Google’s large language model (LLM) technology to generate human-like text responses.
Information Retrieval: Both Google AI Search and Bard aim to retrieve relevant information and provide answers to user queries. They can provide factual information, summaries, and insights on various topics.
Real-Time Internet Access: Unlike other AI chatbots, Google AI Search and Bard AI can access real-time information. Hence, they can provide access to up-to-date information from the web.
Key Differences between Google AI Search and Bard:
Search Functionality: Google AI Search primarily provides contextually relevant answers to search queries by adding AI-powered snapshots to the search results. In contrast, Bard is a chatbot that generates human-like text based on user prompts but does not have web-browsing capabilities like traditional search engines.
Use Cases: Google AI Search is designed for traditional search purposes, such as finding information, making purchase decisions, and general research. Conversely, Bard is more suitable for creative collaboration, generating code snippets, creative writing, and engaging in human-like conversations.
Use Cases for Each Search Engine:
Google AI Search: It is better suited for finding information, making purchase decisions, conducting research, and obtaining contextually relevant answers to various queries.
Bard: It is well-suited for creative collaboration, generating code snippets, solving math problems, creative writing, obtaining informative summaries of factual topics, and more.
Which Search Engine is Better for Different Search Queries:
Google AI Search is better for traditional information-seeking queries, such as factual information, product searches, or general research. For creative purposes, code generation, creative writing, or engaging in human-like conversations, Bard is more suitable.
The Future of AI-Powered Search
The future of AI-powered search engines holds tremendous potential and is poised to transform how we discover and interact with information online. As AI-powered search tools advance, search engines will become more intelligent, personalized, and engaging, providing search experiences that are highly tailored to individual needs.
One key aspect of the future of AI-powered search engines is integrating natural language processing (NLP) capabilities. NLP allows search engines to understand and interpret user queries more nuanced and contextually. Instead of relying solely on keywords, search engines will be able to comprehend the intent behind user queries, leading to more accurate and relevant search results.
Another important trend is the use of generative AI models in search engines. These models can generate human-like responses and even create original content. This opens up possibilities for more interactive and conversational search experiences, where users can engage in dynamic dialogues with AI-powered assistants to refine their search queries and receive tailored recommendations.
Personalization will also play a significant role in the future of AI-powered search engines. Search engines can deliver highly personalized search results as they gather more data about users’ preferences, behaviors, and past interactions. This will enable search engines to anticipate users’ needs, provide recommendations based on their interests, and offer a more customized browsing experience.
However, along with the opportunities, there are also challenges that AI-powered search engines will face in the future. Privacy concerns will become even more critical as search engines collect and process vast amounts of user data. Striking a balance between delivering personalized experiences and respecting user privacy will be crucial.
Additionally, ensuring transparency and accountability in AI algorithms will be a crucial challenge. As AI models become more complex and sophisticated, it becomes increasingly important to understand how they make decisions and to address potential biases or ethical concerns that may arise.
The Google Advanced Analytics Professional Certificate is an online certification program offered by Google. It is designed to help individuals develop the skills and knowledge necessary to become proficient in advanced analytics techniques and tools.
The certificate program covers various topics related to advanced analytics, including data collection, data manipulation, data visualization, and data analysis. Participants will learn how to leverage Google Analytics and other analytics tools to extract insights, track user behavior, measure website performance, and make data-driven decisions.
The program consists of a series of online courses, assessments, and hands-on projects that allow participants to apply their knowledge in real-world scenarios. By completing the program and earning the certificate, individuals can demonstrate their expertise in advanced analytics and enhance their career prospects in fields such as digital marketing, data analysis, and business intelligence.
The Google Advanced Analytics Professional Certificate is recognized by industry professionals and can serve as a valuable credential to showcase proficiency in advanced analytics techniques using Google Analytics and related tools.
There are several compelling reasons to pursue the Google Advanced Analytics Professional Certificate:
Enhance Your Analytical Skills: The course provides comprehensive training in advanced analytics techniques, allowing you to sharpen your analytical skills and gain expertise in leveraging data to make informed decisions.
Industry-Recognized Credential: By earning the certificate, you acquire a valuable credential that is recognized by industry professionals. It can help you stand out in job applications and demonstrate your proficiency in advanced analytics.
Stay Competitive in the Job Market: In today’s data-driven world, companies are increasingly relying on data analysis to drive business strategies. By obtaining the Google Advanced Analytics Professional Certificate, you position yourself as a competitive candidate for roles in digital marketing, data analysis, business intelligence, and related fields.
Expand Career Opportunities: The demand for professionals skilled in advanced analytics is growing rapidly across industries. This course equips you with the necessary knowledge and tools to pursue exciting career opportunities in data analysis, marketing analytics, web analytics, and more.
Deep Dive into Google Analytics: The course focuses on Google Analytics, one of the most widely used analytics tools in the industry. You’ll gain an in-depth understanding of its features, capabilities, and advanced functionalities, enabling you to leverage its full potential for data analysis and decision-making.
Hands-on Learning Experience: The program includes hands-on projects that allow you to apply your knowledge to real-world scenarios. This practical experience enhances your learning and prepares you to tackle analytics challenges in professional settings.
Continuous Professional Development: As technology and analytics methodologies evolve, staying updated is crucial. The Google Advanced Analytics Professional Certificate provides ongoing access to course materials and updates, allowing you to continue learning and adapting to the latest advancements in the field.
Overall, undertaking the Google Advanced Analytics Professional Certificate can provide you with the skills, knowledge, and credentials needed to excel in the analytics industry, open up new career opportunities, and stay at the forefront of data-driven decision-making.
Step for Apply in Google Advanced Analytics Professional Certificate
Visit the Google Career Certificates website: Go to the official Google Career Certificates website that offers the Advanced Analytics Professional Certificate program.
Explore the program details: Review the program information, curriculum, and requirements to ensure it aligns with your interests and goals. Take note of any prerequisites or recommended skills.
Create a Google account: If you don’t already have one, create a Google account. This will be required to access the course materials and complete the certification program.
Enroll in the program: Click on the “Enroll” or “Get Started” button on the program page to initiate the enrollment process. You may be prompted to provide your Google account information or sign in to your account.
Complete the registration form: Fill out the necessary registration form, which may include personal information such as your name, email address, and country of residence. Follow the instructions provided during the registration process.
Access the course materials: Once you’ve successfully enrolled, you will gain access to the course materials, including video lectures, readings, assignments, and quizzes. The program may be self-paced, allowing you to study at your convenience.
Complete the coursework: Engage with the course content, complete the required assignments, and actively participate in any interactive elements provided. This will help you grasp the concepts and develop your skills in advanced analytics.
Finish the assessments and projects: Throughout the program, there may be assessments, quizzes, and hands-on projects that you need to complete. These assessments help gauge your understanding and provide opportunities to apply your knowledge in real-world scenarios.
Earn the certificate: Once you have successfully completed all the required coursework, assessments, and projects, you will be eligible to receive the Google Advanced Analytics Professional Certificate. Follow the instructions provided to claim and download your certificate.
It’s important to note that specific application processes and requirements may vary, so it’s recommended to visit the official Google Career Certificates website for the most up-to-date and accurate information on how to apply for the Google Advanced Analytics Professional Certificate.
In the realm of artificial intelligence, Google Bard AI has emerged as a powerful tool, garnering attention for its diverse capabilities and potential for financial gain. While various AI tools have made headlines for their groundbreaking ideas, Bard offers a unique perspective.
What is Google Bard?
Google Bard is a generative AI tool that excels in generating text for a wide range of purposes, including cover letters, homework assignments, computer code, Excel formulas, and brief translations. While it shares similarities with ChatGPT, Bard possesses a distinct advantage: it can access Google’s search engine, granting it a vast repository of information beyond the confines of its training data, which only extends up to 2021.
Here are the 5 best ways to earn Using Google Bard
Blogging for Profit
One of the most popular ways to monetize Google Bard AI is through blogging. Bard can generate engaging content that can be customized to suit your requirements. Utilize this feature to create high-quality blog posts on topics of interest or niche subjects. Once you have the content, you can publish it on platforms like WordPress and monetize it through advertising, sponsored posts, affiliate marketing, or by offering premium content or memberships.
Providing Coding Services
With Bard’s ability to generate code in various languages, including Python, you can offer coding services to clients. This opens up opportunities to develop software, applications, and scripts based on specific requirements. Whether it’s creating custom software solutions or offering coding assistance to businesses and individuals, the demand for coding services is consistently high. You can advertise your coding services online, join freelance platforms, or collaborate with businesses to showcase your expertise and attract clients.
Online Tutoring
Google Bard AI, combined with its AI chatbot capabilities, can be an excellent tool for online tutoring. Use Bard to create customized tutorials and learning materials for students of all ages. Whether you specialize in a particular subject or offer general academic assistance, Bard can generate tailored content to suit individual learning needs. Promote your online tutoring services on educational platforms, tutoring websites, or social media channels to reach a wider audience and generate a steady income.
Customer Care Automation
Automation is increasingly becoming a valuable asset for businesses looking to streamline their operations. With Google Bard AI, you can create code that automates customer care services. Develop programs that provide automated responses to customer queries or offer self-service options. This allows businesses to enhance their customer support capabilities while reducing costs. Approach companies that may benefit from customer care automation, such as e-commerce businesses or service providers, and offer your services as a customer care automation specialist.
Social Media Management
Social media has become an essential marketing channel for businesses of all sizes. With Google Bard AI, you can tap into the world of social media management and offer innovative marketing strategies. Bard can generate creative content ideas, catchy captions, and engaging posts tailored for different platforms. As a social media manager, you can provide subscription-based services to businesses, managing their social media presence, scheduling posts, and driving engagement. Showcase your expertise through case studies and testimonials to attract clients and grow your social media management business.
The discussion surrounding open-source AI is reaching new levels of intensity within the realm of Big Tech, fueled by recent developments involving Google and Meta.
According to a report from CNBC on Tuesday evening, Google’s latest large language model (LLM) PaLM 2 is said to utilize nearly five times more text data for training compared to its predecessor. However, Google had initially claimed that PaLM 2 was smaller in size while employing a more efficient technique. Notably, Google did not disclose specific details about the training data’s size or other relevant information.
While a Google spokesperson declined to comment on the CNBC report, several Google engineers expressed their dissatisfaction with the leak and were eager to voice their opinions. In a tweet that has since been removed, Dmitry (Dima) Lepikhin, a senior staff software engineer at Google DeepMind, directed strong language towards the individual responsible for leaking PaLM 2 details, stating, “whoever leaked PaLM2 details to cnbc, sincerely fuck you!”
Additionally, Alex Polozov, a senior staff research scientist at Google, shared his thoughts in what he described as a “rant,” highlighting the concerns regarding increased siloing of research brought about by such leaks.
Lucas Beyer, a Google AI researcher based in Zurich, echoed similar sentiments, expressing his dismay not only at the potential accuracy of the token count but also at the broader impact of the leak. Beyer emphasized the erosion of trust and respect resulting from such incidents, which could ultimately lead to more guarded communication, reduced openness over time, and a less favorable work and research environment.
The leaked information has stirred up further debate and intensified the ongoing conversation surrounding open-source AI, with implications that extend beyond the specific details of PaLM 2. The incident raises questions about the delicate balance between transparency and the protection of intellectual property in the fast-paced world of AI development.
Meta’s LeCun: “The platform that will win will be the open one”
Not in response to the Google leak — but in coincidental timing — Meta chief AI scientist Yann LeCun did an interview focusing on Meta’s open-source AI efforts with the New York Times, which published this morning.
The piece describes Meta’s release of its LLaMA large language model in February as “giving away its AI crown jewels” — since it released the model’s source code to “academics, government researchers and others who gave their email address to Meta [and could then] download the code once the company had vetted the individual.”
“The platform that will win will be the open one,” LeCun said in the interview, later adding that the growing secrecy at Google and OpenAI is a “huge mistake” and a “really bad take on what is happening.”
In a Twitter thread, VentureBeat journalist Sean Michael Kerner pointed out that Meta has “actually already gave away one of the most critical AI/ML tools ever created — PyTorch. The foundational stuff needs to be open/and it is. After all, where would OpenAI be without PyTorch?”
Meta’s take on open source is nuanced
But even Meta and LeCun will only go so far in terms of openness. For example, Meta had made LLaMA’s model weights available for academics and researchers on a case-by-case basis — including Stanford for its Alpaca project — but those weights were subsequently leaked on 4chan. That leak is what actually allowed developers around the world to fully access a GPT-level LLM for the first time, not the Meta release, which did not include releasing the LLaMA model for commercial use.
VentureBeat spoke to Meta last month about the nuances of its take on the open- vs. closed-source debate. Joelle Pineau, VP of AI research at Meta, said in our interview that accountability and transparency in AI models is essential.
“More than ever, we need to invite people to see the technology more transparently and lean into transparency,” she said, explaining that the key is to balance the level of access, which can vary depending on the potential harm of the model.
“My hope, and it’s reflected in our strategy for data access, is to figure out how to allow transparency for verifiability audits of these models,” she said.
On the other hand, she said that some levels of openness go too far. “That’s why the LLaMA model had a gated release,” she explained. “Many people would have been very happy to go totally open. I don’t think that’s the responsible thing to do today.”
LeCun remains outspoken on AI risks being overblown
Still, LeCun remains outspoken in favor of open-source AI, and in the New York Times interview argued that the dissemination of misinformation on social media is more dangerous than the latest LLM technology.
“You can’t prevent people from creating nonsense or dangerous information or whatever,” he said. “But you can stop it from being disseminated.”
And while Google and OpenAI may become more closed with their AI research, LeCun insisted he — and Meta — remain committed to open source, saying “progress is faster when it is open.”
Google, owned by Alphabet Inc, has made an announcement regarding the deletion of inactive accounts that have been dormant for a period of two years, starting from December. The primary objective of this action is to mitigate potential security risks, such as hacking, by eliminating unused accounts from the Google system.
According to Google, if a Google account remains unused or has not been logged into for a minimum of two years, both the account itself and its associated content across various Google services may be deleted. This includes popular platforms such as Gmail, Docs, Drive, Meet, Calendar, YouTube, and Google Photos.
It is important to note that this policy change strictly applies to personal Google Accounts and does not extend to accounts owned by organizations such as schools or businesses. The measure primarily targets individual users who have not actively engaged with their accounts over an extended period.
In 2020, Google had previously announced plans to remove content stored in inactive accounts but refrained from deleting the accounts entirely. However, with this recent update, the company will now take the additional step of completely deleting the inactive accounts.
To ensure that users are well-informed about this impending action, Google will send multiple notifications to the account’s email address and the associated recovery email of the inactive accounts before initiating the deletion process. This proactive approach allows users to take appropriate action, such as logging into their accounts or retrieving important data, in order to prevent unintended deletion.
This move by Google aligns with a growing trend among major technology companies to address inactive accounts and streamline their systems. Elon Musk recently announced that Twitter would be removing accounts that have been inactive for several years and archiving them. Musk emphasized the significance of freeing up abandoned handles on the platform.
Google’s Decision to Clear inactive Accounts for Improved Efficiency:
The decision to delete inactive accounts reflects Google’s commitment to user privacy and data security. By removing unused accounts, the company can better protect against potential security breaches, unauthorized access, and data misuse. Additionally, it allows Google to optimize its infrastructure by clearing out dormant accounts that are no longer actively contributing to its services.
For users, this initiative serves as a reminder to regularly review and manage their online accounts. It is crucial to maintain active usage or regularly log into accounts to prevent unintentional loss of data or potential security risks. By staying engaged with their Google accounts, users can ensure that their information remains secure and accessible.
In conclusion, Google’s decision to delete inactive accounts starting in December reflects the company’s commitment to enhancing security measures and protecting user data. By removing unused accounts, Google aims to mitigate potential security threats and streamline its systems. Users are advised to stay vigilant, regularly log into their accounts, and respond to notifications to avoid unintended deletion of their accounts and associated content.
Google’s chatbot, Bard, has received a significant boost with numerous features that could potentially threaten OpenAI’s ChatGPT’s dominance. The tech giant has recently launched Bard in over 180 countries, and with its latest enhancements, the user experience has been substantially improved. OpenAI’s ChatGPT has been creating quite the buzz in the industry with its remarkable natural language processing capabilities, but Bard has emerged as a formidable rival since its launch in Marc
At the developers’ conference on May 10, Google introduced several upgrades to Bard to stay ahead of the game. It is accessible for free at https://bard.google.com/. Now that both chatbots are available for comparison, let’s take a look at how Bard is quickly closing the gap and poised to surpass ChatGPT in the near future.
1. Bard comes with real-time internet access
When it comes to accessing the internet, Google’s chatbot Bard has a clear advantage over OpenAI’s ChatGPT. While ChatGPT may require an additional web-browsing feature to access the internet, Bard comes with internet access by default. Bard’s extensive training on a massive dataset of text and code, including information from the internet, allows it to provide comprehensive and informative answers to a wide range of questions. In addition, it can fetch information from the internet and provide users with the latest news and updates. This feature puts Bard in a strong position compared to ChatGPT, which lacks built-in internet access. As such, Bard has the potential to provide users with a more seamless and comprehensive chatbot experience.
2. Bard will be available on your smartphone
The AI chatbot developed by Google, is set to offer its users the added convenience of accessibility on their smartphones. This puts it ahead of its rival ChatGPT, which does not yet have a dedicated mobile application. While ChatGPT can be accessed through smartphone browsers, having a dedicated mobile app offers a more seamless user experience. Although Bard is not yet available as a standalone app, Google has plans to integrate the chatbot into more of its apps and services, making it easily accessible to smartphone users.
3. Image Response Capability Gives it an Edge Over ChatGPT
Although ChatGPT excels at generating comprehensive text responses, it lacks the ability to provide image-based answers. This may be because OpenAI has other models, such as Dall-E, that are specifically designed for generating images. On the other hand, Google Bard is capable of including images in its text-based responses. While Google demonstrated this capability during the I/O event, we were unable to obtain image-based responses when using prompts like ‘best places to visit in Kerala.’ It is possible that this feature is still being rolled out gradually.
4. Google Bard comes with a Wide Range of Plugins
Google has recently announced that its AI chatbot, will be equipped with a wide range of plugins, including Walmart, Spotify, Uber Eats, and Adobe Firefly, among others. Interestingly, OpenAI had also introduced a similar set of plugins for ChatGPT in March this year. However, the difference lies in the fact that the plugins on ChatGPT are only available to those who have subscribed to ChatGPT Plus, a premium service that costs $20 a month.
5.Can Use Images as Prompts
One of the most notable features of Bard is its ability to use images as prompts or even scan images using Google Lens. This means that if a user is unsure about how to use their craft materials, for example, they can simply take a picture and ask Bard for suggestions. The chatbot will provide craft ideas instantly, demonstrating a significant improvement in AI chatbot prompts.
6. Introduces Voice Prompts
Google Bard offers a unique feature of using voice prompts, which is not yet available in ChatGPT. With the help of voice prompts, users can easily receive responses while performing other tasks. This is a significant development in the AI chatbot industry, as voice prompts have not been previously used in this context, giving Bard an edge over other chatbots
7. Live search results to validate prompts
Google chatbot offers users greater control over the information they receive by allowing them to validate their prompts. Along with the ability to like, dislike, and share responses, users can also use the Google Search function to search for related topics. By clicking on the Google icon, a box with relevant search terms will appear. Clicking on the topics will lead to another page displaying search results in the usual way. This feature is not yet available on ChatGPT.
8. Bard’s programming language support overshadows ChatGPT
Bard stands out from ChatGPT in terms of programming capabilities, as it supports more than 20 programming languages including C++, Python, Java, TypeScript, and JavaScript. Google claims that Bard can assist professionals in generating, explaining, and debugging code, which is a feature that ChatGPT has not yet mastered. OpenAI’s Codex, on the other hand, may be better suited for this purpose.
9. Ability to Summarize Lengthy Web Pages
One of the useful features of Google Bard is its ability to summarise web pages. By simply pasting the URL of a lengthy or complicated article or webpage, Bard can provide a concise summary that helps the user quickly understand the content. This feature is particularly helpful for users who want to stay updated on the latest news or research but may not have the time to read through lengthy articles or academic papers. With this feature, users can quickly get a gist of the content and decide whether they want to read the entire piece. This is an area where ChatGPT currently falls short, as it does not have the capability to summarize web pages.
10. Trip Planning Feature of Bard Takes AI Chatbots to the Next Level
With its exceptional features, Bard can also help users in planning trips, including finding suitable accommodations, activities, and flights. Users can simply specify their travel destination and dates, and Bard will create a personalised itinerary. Additionally, Bard can also adjust the plan based on user preferences and financial constraints, making the travel planning process even more convenient.
As AI chatbots continue to dominate the tech space, leading tech companies such as Microsoft, Google, and Meta are in a race to offer the most innovative and powerful versions of their chatbots. OpenAI’s ChatGPT initially set the benchmark for natural language processing, but now Google’s Bard has stepped up the game with a range of features and upgrades. The competition between the two is fierce, and only time will tell which chatbot will come out on top.
During the Google I/O conference, Google announced a forthcoming feature that will enable users to determine if an image is AI-generated. This new functionality, set to launch this summer, leverages hidden information embedded within the image.
As part of its focus on AI, Google unveiled a range of products and features. In a blog post, Cory Dunton, Google’s product manager for search, emphasized the importance of having the complete picture when assessing the reliability of information or images.
The new tool, named “About this image,” provides users with additional details about when the image was initially indexed by Google, its original sources, and whether it has appeared on news or fact-checking websites. Accessible through various methods such as clicking on the three dots above an image in search results, using Google Lens, or swiping up in the Google app, this feature aims to empower users with more context.
As Google prepares to launch its own text-to-image generator, the company commits to including data that indicates if an image was created by AI. By adding markup to the original files, Google intends to provide viewers with the necessary context when encountering AI-generated images outside its platforms. Additionally, image publishers like Shutterstock and Midjourney will introduce similar labels in the upcoming months.
While AI image generators like Midjourney, alongside OpenAI’s DALL-E, have gained recognition, there have been concerns about the misuse of such technology. Midjourney faced scrutiny for creating fake images depicting Donald Trump’s arrest, highlighting the potential ethical implications associated with AI-generated content.
Google’s image verification feature aims to enhance transparency and enable users to make more informed judgments about the authenticity and reliability of images in an AI-driven landscape.
During the Google I/O conference, the extensive integration of generative AI throughout the Google portfolio took center stage. The highlight of the event was the unveiling of PaLM 2, a powerful large language model (LLM) that promises to revolutionize various Google services. Notably, the cloud sector is set to receive a significant enhancement through deep integration with generative AI.
Google is introducing a new interface, powered by Duet AI, a Google technology, which leverages the PaLM 2 model as its foundation. This integration aims to empower cloud developers and users, fostering increased productivity and efficiency within the cloud environment. By combining the capabilities of generative AI and cloud services, Google is poised to deliver transformative advancements that redefine the cloud computing experience.
How Duet AI could completely change how cloud is managed and developed
For new and experienced users of the cloud alike, there can often be a lot of complexity, which can lead to confusion about how to execute certain types of operations.
Seroter joked that when an individual buys a new car, they usually just get in and drive, without the need to first read the car manual. Cloud doesn’t work the same way in that users typically need to read some documentation — and there is a lot of documentation to go through.
The goal with Duet AI is to bring a conversational experience to the process of learning how to best deploy code and manage applications in the cloud. So instead of a user scrolling through StackOverflow answers, Google search results or YouTube videos, the user can simply ask a question and get an answer right in the cloud console.
“If I can pull good practices, including getting started and improving expert practices, into an in-console chat, that can steer me to some of the right places, I think it’s gonna be really powerful for people who feel intimidated by this giant powerful, awesome cloud experience,” Seroter said.
Duet AI was trained on Google Cloud data to optimize deployment
The modern cloud consists of many different options for developers to consider for app deployment, including different types of containers as well as virtual machines.
Seroter said that the complexity of cloud deployment is why Google had to fine-tune Duet AI specifically with information about Google Cloud.
“So we found all of our docs, which is well over a million pages of docs, not to mention every code sample we’ve written, every reference application, every blog post and every YouTube video transcript,” Seroter said.
Rather than just relying on generic information that PaLM 2 might have, Duet AI has the right specific contextual information to provide accurate responses about Google Cloud.
The future of Duet AI in the cloud is ‘day two’ operations and SRE
The initial rollout of Duet AI for Google Cloud has a focus on developers, which will expand in the coming months to what are called “day two” operations, or ongoing cloud management (in software development parlance, development and deployment of code is typically referred to as a “day one” operation, which ongoing maintenance is “day two”).
Seroter said that future iteration of Duet AI for Google cloud will help organizations with site reliability engineering (SRE) and best practices at the architecture level that keep cloud applications running on day two and beyond. Going a step further, Seroter sees a future where Duet AI can also help with cloud cost optimization, to help organizations be more efficient with how they deploy and manage cloud infrastructure and applications.
“AI is the new interface for the cloud,” Seroter said. “It’s not just sitting outside the cloud, this is infused into the cloud experience.”
In November 2022, OpenAI unleashed ChatGPT, setting a benchmark for conversational AI. Since then, Google has been playing catch-up with its own tool, Bard. However, at the Google I/O conference, Google Upgrades Bard to Compete with ChatGPT.
Initially launched with limited availability and a waitlist, Bard encountered challenges in gaining traction. Now, Google is removing the waitlist and opening Bard to a global audience, aiming to broaden its reach and impact.
Google also unveiled several advancements to outpace ChatGPT, including multi-language support, visual responses, export functionality, and new integrations. These enhancements are designed to provide users with an enhanced and more versatile conversational AI experience.
During a Google I/O keynote, Sissie Hsiao, VP and GM of Google Assistant and Bard, highlighted the transformative impact of large language models and the team’s dedication to rapid improvement and iterative development of Bard.
With these updates, Google aims to position Bard as a competitive alternative to ChatGPT, leveraging its own advancements and capabilities in the field of conversational AI.
The term “bard” is a word used to describe a storyteller and is a moniker that is also commonly associated with famous English playwright William Shakespeare.
Bard’s words aren’t written by Shakespeare, or any other human (at least, not directly), but rather are generated from Google’s newest large language model (LLM) PaLM 2, which was also announced at today’s Google I/O event.
PaLM 2 provides Bard with significantly enhanced generative AI capabilities that exceed the initial functionality that Bard launched with earlier this year.
“With PaLM 2, Bard’s math, logic and reasoning skills made a huge leap forward, underpinning its ability to help developers with programming,” Hsiao said. “Bard can now collaborate on tasks like code generation, debugging and explaining code snippets.”
With code generation, Bard is also going a step further in its bid to help outpace OpenAI’s capabilities. Hsiao said that starting next week, Bard will integrate precise code citations to help developers understand exactly where code snippets have come from.
What good is a Bard if you can’t share its work?
Another limitation of the original Bard was that responses and generated content remained in Bard, but that’s also about to change.
Hsiao announced that, starting today, Bard is adding export actions for Gmail and Google Docs, making it easy to integrate generated content. Going a step further, she announced that more extensibility is coming to Bard with the launch of tools and extensions.
“As you collaborate with Bard, you’ll be able to tap into services from Google and extensions with partners to let you do things never before possible,” Hsiao said.
Bard going multilingual
English isn’t the only language that Google’s users speak and soon it won’t be the only language that Bard supports either.
The plan is for Bard to support 40 different languages, starting today with Japanese and Korean, with more to come in the following months.
“It’s amazing to see the rate of progress so far with more advanced models. So many new capabilities and the ability for even more people to collaborate with Bard,” Hsiao said.