There’s been no way of escaping the news surrounding ChatGPT. It’s been praised and feared in equal measure for its ability to generate impressive content. From computer coding to poems, it seems that there’s nothing that ChatGPT can’t do. Of course, with this AI tool coming from a Microsoft company there was no way that Google was going to stay in the shadows. That led to the launch of Google Bard.
Both Bard and ChatGPT are classed as AI-powered chatbots. This has led to a huge showdown between these two tech giants. The reality is that the possibilities presented by these chatbots are endless. Users are taking advantage of them to write essays, code websites plan date nights and even just to find slot games with high payout rates. However, it seems that more users are turning to ChatGPT, but why is that? Let’s take a look.
What is ChatGPT?
ChatGPT is an AI-powered chatbot. It uses machine learning to be able to provide conversational dialogue in response to user queries. It was released on the last day of November in 2022 and within just five days, there were well over 1 million users.
The GPT part of the name stands for Generative Pre-trained Transformer. This is used to find patterns that are contained in data sequences. The types of tasks that ChatGPT can be used for include:
- Computer code
- Blog posts
- Product description
- Translations
- Poems
- Jokes
What is Google Bard?
Just like ChatGPT, Google Bard is an AI-powered chatbot. Bard simulates human conversations via machine learning and natural language processing. By using Google’s Language Model for Dialogue Applications (LaMDA), Bard draws responses from the internet but provides much more detailed responses compared to what you’d find with a simple Google search.
The aim of Bard is to be able to provide responses and information in a simple answer, rather than providing a typical search engine result. It also has the ability to act as a personal assistant of sorts by helping users to carry out tasks such as booking holidays and planning meals.
ChatGPT vs Google Bard – what’s the difference?
While ChatGPT and Google Bard are both conversational AI chatbots, there are some key differences between the two. These differences may well have an impact on which you view as being the best:
Data sources
When it comes to responding to a user query, ChatGPT and Google Bard need to be able to draw on data sources to provide answers. ChatGPT is limited here. It operates based on a data source that hasn’t been updated since 2021. This means that it’s unable to assist with anything that has changed since. Bard, on the other hand, continually accesses information on the internet. This means that its responses are always based on the most up-to-date information.
Architecture
ChatGPT is based on the GTP-3 language model (GTP-4 for paid users) while Google Bard is based on the LaMDA model. The latter is a newer mode and is designed to provide more detailed and accurate responses.
Availability
ChatGPT is available to a limited number of users at present. Bard is still in testing meaning that the user numbers are even more restricted. At present, you need to join a waiting list to trial what Bard has to offer
Overall
While both are clearly hugely powerful, it seems that Bard has the edge over ChatGPT in numerous areas.
The pros and cons of ChatGPT
Pros:
- Great at generating text that makes sense and is grammatically correct too
- Is effective when it comes to translating into other languages
- Has a wide range of uses such as writing blogs, poems, code and even music pieces
- Provides detailed responses even to difficult questions
Cons:
- Still in a development phase and so can make mistakes
- Limited data source
- Content can be misleading
- Some content can be classed as harmful
The pros and cons of Google Bard
Pros:
- Uses real-time information to generate responses. That means that responses provided are based on the newest information that’s up to date
- It’s a versatile creative tool that can provide poems, essays, blog posts and music
- Has the ability to answer questions even when they’re open-ended or challenging
- On the verge of becoming even more powerful
Cons:
- Still in beta testing so you can expect errors in some of the responses that are provided
- Like ChatGPT, some responses can be misleading and, at times, content can be harmful
- There is a chance of responses being biased as they depend on the source that is used to generate them
So, why is ChatGPT so much more popular?
When you consider user numbers, it becomes obvious that ChatGPT is the tool of choice. The number of people using this dwarfs the numbers that have signed up for Google Bard. While this may seem like bad news for Bard, there’s a simple explanation: Bard’s access is restricted.
Google Bard carries the same warnings as ChatGPT in terms of mistakes happening and some data may be inaccurate. Google wants to overcome this though and be as accurate as possible before its main launch. That’s why only a select number of people can access Bard and use it while it’s in its trial stage. It’s expected that, when Bard is fully launched, user numbers will rival ChatGPT, and may even surpass them.
Final thoughts
While ChatGPT and Google Bard are set to battle it out for the top spot when it comes to AI chatbots, it’s worth considering that there are others entering the arena too. Projects such as Jasper, Open Assistant and ChatSonic are all looking to have their piece of the pie.
What has been achieved so far is truly amazing, but it’s important to realise that we’re still in very early days. As time goes by, we’ll see AI go from strength to strength and be able to provide responses that are free from errors and provided in record time. It will be interesting to see which provider comes out on top.
