Today I got access to Google's chatbot named Bard, and I've been giving it a spin.
According to the Bard FAQ, Bard is based on Google's LaMDA (Language Model for Dialogue Applications) conversational AI model. Google is clear that they did not use data from Gmail or other private apps for training.
Google also is very clear that it is not designed to return facts, help you code, or tell you about itself. Instead it is promoted as a creative tool that can help you brainstorm ideas for a party or write a draft email. As Google notes:
LLM [Large Language Model] experiences (Bard included) can hallucinate and present inaccurate information as factual.
When you sign in to Bard for the first time, there is a popup that makes it clear:
Bard is an experiment
As you try Bard, please remember:
Bard will not always get it right
Bard may give inaccurate or inappropriate responses. When in doubt, use the "Google it" button to check Bard's responses.Bard will get better with your feedback
Please rate responses and flag anything that may be offensive or unsafe.
All Large Language Models "hallucinate", including ChatGPT and Microsoft 365 CoPilot, which is touted as being "usefully wrong".
My current impression is that Bard can be used for brainstorming, but it mostly comes up with nicely written, but pretty basic, suggestions. The information it includes is mostly accurate.
I found it most useful when I asked for cooking suggestions and recipes, as that information can be difficult to wade through in the search results. And that works for me because I know enough about cooking to start with the suggestions and do my own thing, rather than expecting to follow a precise recipe (which may not work).
But in most cases the results to my prompts weren't bad, but were pretty boring. Boring isn't necessarily bad, of course. Boring is probably good for Gmail and Google Docs drafts, which is one of the first places Google is integrating generative AI.
I've also used Google's AI Test Kitchen, which is also based on LaMDA, and found the "Imagine It" app to be much more fun and interesting to play with as a creative tool.
And that is partially because "Imagine It" isn't a one-and-done response to a prompt. It asks questions and lets you refine your story.
This is presumably early days, so I'm interested in seeing where this goes. I'm hoping that future versions incorporate a back-and-forth discussion options, or at least the ability to refine prompts based on existing responses.
Read on to learn how to sign up for Bard, manage what is saved in your Google account, and the result of the prompts I tried.
Sign up to try Bard
- In the United States and UK.
- At least 18 years old.
- Not using an account managed by a parent or guardian.
- Not using an account managed by a Google Workspace administrator.
Using Bard
I do not have enough information about that person to help with your request. I am a large language model, and I am able to communicate and generate human-like text in response to a wide range of prompts and questions, but my knowledge about this person is limited. Is there anything else I can do to help you with this request?
Bard responds to prompt: "What can I prepare with carrots, onions, beets,
peas and potatoes?" with reasonable-looking recipes.
Bard responds to prompt: "Where should I go for a hike?" with localized
suggestions in the San Francisco Bay Area, which is the general area I am in.
- When I asked "What should I cook for dinner?" it gave me a list of 5-ingredient dinner recipes.
- When I asked "What can I prepare with carrots, onions, beets, peas and potatoes?" it gave me three actual recipes that I think would work. At least I know how to cook well enough that I could use these as a starting point.
- When I asked "Where should I go for a hike?" it listed four places to hike in the San Francisco Bay Area (my general location) with descriptions that looked accurate.
- Asking "Are there any current road closures?" listed supposed Bay Area highway information, but it was not accurate. And by not accurate I mean it included a location that doesn't exist.
Bard's response to prompt "Write a paragraph about the latest changes to YouTube policy".
Clicking the Google It button makes it easy to search for related topic "Latest youtube policy changes."
How does Google use your interactions with Bard?
- Your conversations (don't submit prompts with personal details!)
- Your feedback
- Your usage information
- Your general location based on your IP address
nice
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