Google earlier this week said it was opening Bard, a rival to Microsoft-backed ChatGPT, to 180 countries, as it expands the use of artificial intelligence on its platform.
Generative AI will also be used to supercharge the tech giant’s leading companies, executives said at an annual Google developers conference in Silicon Valley. Search engine,
“We’ve been implementing AI for some time, with Generative AI we’re taking the next step,” said Google CEO Sundar Pichai. “We’re re-imagining all of our core products, including search.” ,
race to catch up
Google is racing to catch up to rival Microsoft, which has rushed to integrate ChatGPT-like powers into a wide range of its products, including the Bing search engine.
Microsoft’s dash into AI came despite fears of the technology’s potential danger to society, including its impact on the spread of disinformation and whether it could make entire categories of jobs obsolete.
Cathy Edwards of Google Search said the new experience would be similar to a search that is “supercharged” by a conversational bot. Other Google executives explained how generative AI is being woven into Gmail, photo editing, online work tools and more.
The company’s AI efforts will be undertaken in a “bold and responsible” way, senior product director Jack Krawczyk said during a briefing. Testing it in the US and the UK.
How will your search engine change?
When it comes to searching, the act of “Googling” is about to undergo one of the most drastic changes you’ve ever seen. USA Today, The ability to summarize vast amounts of information in a very compact way is one of the most amazing features of the technology under generative AI. In practice, this means that it can take data from multiple sources and combine them all together to provide you with what you want in one response. Furthermore, it opens up the option of making extremely broad requests and receiving incredibly detailed responses.
The report asked people to consider the scenario of organizing holiday travel. Traditionally, the report says, you’d probably start by looking for things to do in the area, followed by somewhere to stay. After that, it can look for good restaurants nearby. Then you go through the tens or hundreds of connections, carefully piecing together some sort of itinerary.
You can ask Google for a five-day plan for a family of four that includes all events and all restaurants, while accommodating youngsters who only eat spaghetti and parents who want excellent cocktails at night. Amazingly, it can accomplish all of this in a single response.
If your search is focused on a purchase, an upgraded Google will not only advise you on the best options for a detailed request, but also provide helpful information on how to best use or fulfill whatever it is. Relevant to what you’re buying.
What’s particularly noteworthy about these new search capabilities is that they spark a desire to do additional research on a topic. It’s much easier (and more enjoyable) to delve a little further into a given topic, making the Internet’s vast resources more useful than ever.
Risky Technology?
When you ask the new AI-powered version of Bing a question, it responds with an answer. This is different from how we have typically used search engines, in that you get lots of results and must evaluate the different links shown to you before choosing the best one.
The problem with the AI version of Bing, in my opinion, is that you have to trust it to give you the right answers. You do not collect information and make decisions on your own. AI isn’t always perfect, but it’s learning and getting smarter, forbes said in a report.
Google’s announcements come a week after rival Microsoft expanded public access to its generative artificial intelligence programs, which are powered by models created by OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT.
“This could be a defining moment in the AI battle with Google and Microsoft going head-to-head for market share,” Wedbush analyst Dan Ives said in a note to investors.
The analyst said that Microsoft’s early investment in OpenAI gave it a head start in “the Game of Thrones battle for Big Tech with Google now playing in dominant catchup mode”.
The AI-enhanced features of Microsoft’s Bing search engine and Edge internet browser were recently open to all.
The services have been enhanced with the ability to work with images as well as text, and Microsoft intends to add video to the mix.
Despite the rollout by two of the world’s biggest companies, AI’s risks include the potential use of voice clones, deep-fake videos and misinformation with convincing written messages.
In March a series of experts urged the development of powerful AI systems to be halted to ensure they are secure.
His open letter, signed by more than 1,000 people including billionaire Elon Musk and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, was inspired by Microsoft-backed firm OpenAI’s generative AI technology.
A prominent computer scientist often referred to as the “godfather of artificial intelligence” recently quit his job at Google to speak out about the dangers of the technology.
Geoffrey Hinton, who created some of the technology underlying the AI system, said the existential threat from AI is “serious and imminent”.
with inputs from afp