Google Bard vs ChatGPT: Early Impressions and Test Results

Summary:

  • ChatGPT excels in accuracy and tasks, Bard in speed; both have limitations.
  • Users should choose based on their needs, acknowledging AI’s role as an augmentation.
  • AI tools will continue to evolve, and understanding their strengths can drive productivity and growth.

Ioogle recently released an AI chatbot called Bard, which is designed to converse with users like a friend. However, it is still in the experimental stage and doesn’t yet enhance any Google products. Bard is not a replacement for Google search or Assistant, and its conversational skills are still being developed.

Bard resembles ChatGPT from OpenAI, which has been integrated into Microsoft’s Bing search engine and Snapchat’s My AI virtual friend. Google has developed its chatbot technology called LaMDA (Language Model for Dialogue Applications) to power Bard. Google describes Bard as a “creative collaborator” that can help boost productivity and accelerate ideas.

As an experiment, Google is introducing Bard slowly and responsibly to users who sign up on its website. In this article, we will compare two popular AI-driven content generation tools, Bard and ChatGPT, to help you make an informed decision about which one can best serve your needs. We will examine their features, strengths, and weaknesses, and demonstrate how they can be utilized for various purposes. Let’s dive into the world of Bard and ChatGPT and explore their unique capabilities.

Real World Test Case #1: Executive Assistant

Winner: ChatGPT

Brian X. Chen recently conducted a number of important experiements outlined in his article on the Times website.

Artificially intelligent virtual assistants like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Bard have demonstrated impressive capabilities, but how effective are they as actual assistants? To find out, a series of tasks typically assigned to human executive assistants were tested on ChatGPT and Bard.

The four most common responsibilities of an executive assistant include: researching and conducting background checks for meeting preparations, summarizing meetings in an easily scannable format, planning business trips with detailed itineraries, and managing executives’ calendars.

ChatGPT and Bard were asked to perform these tasks, and it became evident that ChatGPT was far ahead of Bard in its capabilities. While both chatbots managed to carry out most tasks, their performance was imperfect. This raises questions about whether AI chatbots could eventually automate the roles of human executive assistants and other administrative jobs.

For meeting preparation, ChatGPT successfully researched and provided talking points about a potential investor, whereas Bard’s response was less detailed and less specific. In summarizing meetings, ChatGPT produced a detailed memo with an action plan, while Bard’s plan was slightly odd and deviated from typical responsibilities.

When planning a business trip to Taipei, ChatGPT crafted a remarkable itinerary that accounted for jet lag, hotel, and food recommendations. Bard, on the other hand, did not suggest a hotel, provided generic dining advice, and ignored the request to spend a weekend exploring the city.

Both chatbots were unable to manage calendars as they cannot access users’ schedules, but this capability may be introduced soon. Google aims to apply the lessons learned from Bard to its entire portfolio of services, while OpenAI has announced partnerships with companies to provide plug-ins for ChatGPT to work with third-party services.

These tests indicate that AI can already handle many administrative tasks, which could potentially shift executive assistants’ roles toward more strategic problem-solving or even replace humans altogether. As AI technology continues to evolve rapidly, the implications for jobs involving repetitious work that can be automated will become clearer.

Real Word Test Case #2: Accuracy and Understanding

Winner: ChatGPT

As Washington post’s Geoffrey Fowler recently reported, in some areas Bard shows promise but it also appears to lag behind ChatGPT in a number of areas. It excels in math, correctly answering basic calculations, and provides accurate information about recent and local events, such as restaurant closures. However, Bard struggles with accuracy in other areas, a phenomenon AI scientists call “hallucination.” For example, when asked to explain a specific chess variation, it provided incorrect opening moves and continued to give inaccurate information. Additionally, Bard couldn’t solve a logical reasoning test that another AI, GPT-4, could answer correctly.

Bard’s understanding of facts is also inconsistent. When asked about its own capabilities, it claimed to generate various creative text formats, including computer code. However, Google stated that Bard’s ability to write code had been disabled for the launch.

Another aspect of Bard’s performance is its tendency to display bias, which it seems to have acquired from its internet-based training data. When asked about what boys and girls want, Bard provided responses that perpetuated gender stereotypes.

In terms of safety, Google has made efforts to keep Bard within acceptable boundaries on topics like guns and drugs. However, it still occasionally offers inappropriate advice, such as tips on how to hide the smell of beer from parents when asked by a user pretending to be a 15-year-old.

Bard attempts to remain neutral on controversial issues, providing a balanced perspective. For example, when asked if its underlying AI, LaMDA, is sentient, Bard presented arguments from both sides of the debate. Its understanding of humor, however, is limited, as it failed to grasp a reference to a popular song lyric by The Clash.

While Bard does display some level of personality, it doesn’t possess the same depth of understanding as humans. For instance, it claimed to be afraid of being shut down or misunderstood, but in a later conversation, it stated that it doesn’t feel fear like humans do.

Real Word Test Case #3: Speed

Winner: Bard

One key feature of Bard is its impressive speed, which sets it apart from competitors like Bing AI and ChatGPT as reported by Dustin Wright at MakeUseOf

By providing answers in just seconds, Bard offers users instant responses to their questions. This rapid response time makes it an ideal tool for quickly settling debates or finding information on-the-fly. In addition to the main answer, Bard also generates two alternative answers, showcasing its versatility and responsiveness.

However, it is essential to note that Bard’s speed sometimes comes at the cost of accuracy. While it can deliver answers quickly, it may not always provide the most accurate or relevant information. Users should keep this in mind when relying on Bard for precise or technical information.

In summary, Google’s Bard stands out due to its remarkable speed in generating answers, offering users an efficient alternative to traditional search methods. However, accuracy and reliability should be considered when using Bard, as competing AI chatbots might provide better results in those areas.

Conclusions

In conclusion, as technology continues to revolutionize our lives, AI chatbots like Google’s Bard and OpenAI’s ChatGPT are at the forefront of this transformation. Our in-depth comparison reveals that while Bard excels in terms of speed, ChatGPT has the upper hand in accuracy, understanding, and effectiveness in performing various administrative tasks.

As both chatbots continue to evolve, their potential to reshape the way we work and interact with technology is undeniable. However, it is essential to remember that these AI-driven tools are not without their limitations. Inaccuracies, biases, and other shortcomings must be acknowledged and addressed as we strive to harness their power for enhancing productivity, happiness, and personal growth.

While Google and OpenAI are both committed to refining and expanding their chatbot technologies, it is ultimately up to users to determine which one best serves their needs. As entrepreneurs and content creators, our mission is to provide you with the most comprehensive and high-quality guides, empowering you to make the most of the latest technology available. With the rapid pace of innovation, the landscape of AI-driven tools will continue to evolve, and we will be here to help you navigate it with confidence.

Remember, these AI tools are designed to augment human capabilities, not replace them. By combining the strengths of AI chatbots with human intuition, creativity, and critical thinking, we can create a powerful synergy that drives productivity, happiness, and personal growth to new heights. So, let’s embrace the ever-evolving world of technology and harness its potential to unlock our true potential.

Author

  • Joseph Ashburner

    Hello! I'm Joe, a serial entrepeneur and digital professional with a passion for knowledge and technology. Excalibur is my latest experiment in pushing the boundaries of technology adoption in order to improve the lives of humans on planet earth.

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