Google lance Bard : l’IA qui rivalise avec ChatGPT dans le domaine de l’intelligence artificielle

Google Launches Bard, Its Answer to ChatGPT

Introduction

In its pursuit of artificial intelligence dominance, Google has introduced Bard, its response to OpenAI’s popular software, ChatGPT. Bard, designed to compete with its rival, is now available in most countries and in the most widely spoken languages, according to a recent blog post by Google. Despite regulatory constraints, Google recognized the importance of the European Union and has finally launched Bard in approximately fifty new countries. This article explores Google‘s latest AI venture, the challenges it faces, and the implications for the future.

Regulatory Hurdles

Google had encountered delays in launching Bard in the European Union due to concerns raised by the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) regarding data privacy. This development is significant, as OpenAI’s ChatGPT faced similar regulatory hurdles and was temporarily blocked in Italy. Graham Doyle, spokesperson for the DPC, stated that Google made adjustments to improve transparency and modify control mechanisms for users ahead of Bard‘s launch. The company has agreed to undergo an audit and provide a report to the DPC three months after Bard becomes operational in the EU. These regulatory challenges highlight the concerns surrounding AI algorithms and their potential privacy, disinformation, and intellectual property implications.

European Regulatory Efforts and Innovation

The European Union is actively seeking to regulate the AI sector through ongoing discussions on legislation. The European Data Committee has also established a working group dedicated to addressing the topic. While these precautions are viewed as necessary measures, proponents of AI express concerns that excessive regulations might impede innovation on the continent. It is crucial to strike a balance between promoting technological advancements and safeguarding privacy and user rights. The convergence of AI ethics, regulation, and innovation remains a complex challenge for industry leaders, policymakers, and experts.

Expanding Language Capabilities

Bard, initially available in English, Japanese, and Korean, has now expanded its language repertoire to include approximately forty languages, such as Arabic, German, Chinese, Spanish, French, and Hindi. This development allows Bard to respond verbally, adapt its style to professional or informal language, extract information from images, and continue previous conversations, a feature already present in ChatGPT. Conversational AI robots, positioned as an alternative option to traditional online search, have gained rapid popularity since ChatGPT‘s release in November 2022. Notably, ChatGPT is integrated into some of Microsoft’s tools, including the Bing search engine.

Competition and Market Potential

Google faced the pressure to accelerate its AI announcements to keep pace with competitors like OpenAI. In May, Google unveiled PaLM 2, its new language model, which it intends to incorporate into its search engine and suite of online services, such as Maps, Gmail, and Docs. Both Google and OpenAI, along with numerous startup companies, are engaging in a race to make their generative AI platforms the preferred personal assistants for the general public and businesses alike.

The global generative AI market, encompassing text and image generation, is projected to generate $67 billion in revenue by 2023, with a potential ten-fold increase before the end of the decade, according to Bloomberg Intelligence and IDC. However, despite their statistical learning capabilities based on massive training data, these AI robots frequently make errors due to the lack of reasoning abilities. Both Bard and ChatGPT come with a disclaimer warning users that they may display inaccurate or shocking information.

Uncertain Business Models and Costs

The commercial models for Bard, Bing AI, ChatGPT, and similar platforms remain uncertain. Bard is currently offered for free, while ChatGPT has paid features or subscription-based access. Meanwhile, the operational costs for these AI systems far exceed those of traditional search engines. The business viability of generative AI platforms and their long-term sustainability are ongoing points of exploration and development.

Conclusion

Google‘s launch of Bard positions the company in the competitive realm of AI. However, regulatory concerns and the need to balance innovation with privacy and user rights present significant challenges. As the AI landscape continues to evolve, industry players must prioritize ethical guidelines, collaboratively work with regulators, and adapt to the changing needs and expectations of society. The convergence of AI technology, regulation, and ethics will shape the path forward for these transformative systems and their impact on society.