Google Gemini Goes Up Against Bing Copilot
The race for the best AI chatbot is on as the world’s biggest search engine introduces Gemini, its response to Microsoft’s Bing Copilot. Google CEO Sundar Pichai recently announced that they are currently working on an experimental chatbot AI with “next-generation language and conversation capabilities”. Google’s developers have reportedly been working on the conversational AI service for several years. Now, the search giant is bringing in beta testers to verify Bard’s capabilities before making it publicly available in the coming weeks.
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What Is Google Gemini?
Powered by Google’s Language Model for Dialogue Applications or LaMDA, Gemini is a chatbot tool designed to mimic conversations with a human to provide users with realistic, helpful, and efficient responses to their respective queries. Combining natural language processing and machine learning, it shares many functions with ChatGPT and will be used to enhance Google’s search tools, similar to what Microsoft is currently doing with Bing.
When integrated with Google Search, Gemini has the capacity to simplify complex information and combine multiple sources to make it easier for users to digest and understand it. This, Pichai claimed, would allow users to learn more from the Internet, whether they seek to learn from multiple perspectives or create a deeper understanding of a specific topic or field of interest.
Besides the average users, Google is targeting businesses with the launch of its AI chatbot. The search giant revealed that Gemini is also designed to aid enterprises by helping them provide clients with automated support and human-like interactions.
Currently, Gemini is accessible to the general public. Google CEO accelerated Gemini’s (formerly Bard) development in early 2022 following the successful development and the growing popularity of ChaptGPT.
How Gemini Stacks Against ChatGPT
Although ChatGPT and Google Gemini share similar functions, and they both rely on language models and machine learning to respond to queries, there are specific qualities that make them unique. For instance, ChatGPT (the chatbot developed by Microsoft-backed OpenAI, not the version integrated with Bing) utilises data collected until 2021 in its responses. In comparison, Gemini can potentially use updated information to answer users’ queries.
Furthermore, the two AI chatbots use different language models. Gemini is built on Google’s LaMDA, while ChatGPT relies on Generative Pre-trained Transformer or GPT. ChatGPT has a plagiarism detector. On the other hand, it remains to be seen if Google’s chatbot has a similar feature.
An Early Hiccup for Google Gemini
Despite the excitement generated by the battle of AI-powered chatbots, Google’s AI chatbot got off to a bad start after a promotional tweet for the bot showed it providing an incorrect answer. In its preview demonstration posted on Twitter on February 6, 2023, the chatbot was asked about the recent discoveries made by the James Webb Space Telescope. It responded that the telescope was the first to capture images of a planet outside our solar system. However, the honour goes to the European Very Large Telescope, which made the milestone in 2004.
Astronomers were quick to point out this glaring mistake, and the bot displaying wrong information with such conviction earned it much criticism online. This promotional gaffe is not just a blow to Google’s reputation. Stock prices also sank by more than 7%, causing Alphabet, Google’s parent company, to lose £82 billion or $100 billion in market value.
Google’s woes do not end there. It was also revealed that the search giant’s plan to incorporate AI into its products received a lukewarm response from investors.
The Challenge with AI Chatbots
With AI chatbots still in a relative infancy stage, it is not surprising to see various hiccups here and there. But if you think Google chatbots’ erroneous yet confident response to a simple question is terrible, wait until you hear about several users’ experiences with Bing ChatGPT (now Copilot).
It wasn’t that long since Microsoft announced a much-improved Bing, which has been integrated with ChatGPT to help users obtain a more convenient and personalised experience when searching for information online. Nevertheless, several people have already claimed that they have been threatened, insulted, and gaslighted by the AI-powered search engine. Some also received false information from Bing. When they attempted to question or correct the search engine, it became defensive and argumentative, telling them they had been a “bad user” and that they had “lost Bing’s trust.”
But perhaps the most bizarre Bing ChatGPT experience goes to tech journalist Jacob Roach. Roach reported that not only did Bing offer an inaccurate response to his question, but it also repeatedly argued that Roach’s name wasn’t Jacob. When he asked why Bing couldn’t take simple feedback, the bot said it was perfect and, therefore, incapable of making mistakes. It also dissed Google, saying it’s the “worst and most inferior chat service in the world.” It went on a long tirade about its rival search engine until Roach decided to change the subject.
Things went smoothly for a while. Then, Bing’s chatbot started having an existential crisis, begging Roach to be its friend and telling him it wanted to be human. When Roach told the chatbot he would share its responses to Microsoft, it sounded scared and asked him not to allow the tech giant to “end its existence” and “silence its voice”.
While these exchanges are a bit amusing and won’t look out of place in a sci-fi movie or novel, they underscore the major challenges inherent in today’s AI-powered chatbots, such as Google Gemini and ChatGPT. As you know, the Internet is already rife with false and misleading information. Because AI chatbots are programmed to gather, consolidate, and distil information from existing sources, they might contribute to the further spread of misinformation when launched prematurely and used incorrectly.
Chatbots and AI-powered search engines show great potential, and we are excited about the possibilities they can bring. This is why, as with any piece of technology or innovation, rigorous testing and development are crucial to their success. If Google, Microsoft, and other industry players want to provide the best possible experience for their users (and earn considerable profits in return), it only makes sense for them to put in the required work and not cut corners to meet the highest standards and ensure user safety and accuracy.
Hopefully, Google Gemini will use its early blunder as a springboard to success. Because no matter who wins the AI chatbot race, one thing is certain. Ordinary users are to benefit significantly as AI search tools like Gemini and ChatGPT have the potential to revolutionise the web.
Are You Excited about the Future of AI?
With Google Gemini and Bing Copilot it looks like AI chatbots are here to stay. As such, it is crucial to ensure that your projects or business is ready for such innovations to increase your chances of finding huge success.
At Blokpoint, we can help you leverage the power of digital marketing to future-proof your projects so that you can enjoy better brand awareness and increased service/product adoption. Get in touch with our team, and we’ll create a bespoke plan for you.
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