Let’s see if Google Bard is any better than its older rival, ChatGPT.
The first half of 2023 belongs to conversational AI. It all started with ChatGPT surprising users with its capabilities, which are poised to kick out a few job profiles altogether.
Seeing the potential and the possible danger, Google reportedly issued code red and quickly came up with an AI product of its own: Google Bard.
However, many industry experts and Google insiders believe it to be a rushed and botched attempt to counter its rival.
Personally, when I wrote the Google Bard vs. ChatGPT showdown, it felt like Bard was still in some AI school, whereas ChatGPT is more of a graduate already.
Though Bard is still in beta, this is not good news for Google.
So, we thought to come up with some respite for the search giant with this article, where you’ll see Bard outdoing ChatGPT convincingly.
Stay tuned.
Real-Time Internet Search
ChatGPT can do many things, but real-time search isn’t one of them. It had a data cut-off in September 2021, and all it can do is respond from that information pool.
However, that’s not the case with Bard. It’s constantly connected, and it can search in a blink of an eye.
Voice Search & Export
These small things make a lot of sense in present times, as a typical user is all about that convenience factor. As a matter of fact, 50% of the US consumer base uses voice search at least once a day.
Typing isn’t that hard, either. Still, voice commands are all about speed, and Google certainly won’t make typos. So until ChatGPT gives us a mic icon to tap on, Bard is the AI home for many.
In addition, you can directly export Bard’s response as an email draft or in Google Docs (also in Google Sheets in coming updates).
This is super useful for further editing or collaboration. So Bard is just using Google’s heritage and offering things that really matter in day-to-day professional life.
Web-Page Summary
Bard benefits its users by summarizing an active web page.
You can use a prompt like summarize this article: "link" to get a short text about the web page contents.
However, I noted that Bard could add a few facts which might not be on the linked web page. But since Bard is still in beta, expecting perfection is not a great idea at this point.
Multiple Responses
Another area where Bard undercuts ChatGPT is with its three drafts of the recent prompt.
These drafts come in handy in choosing the best version and avoiding the least interesting response of the lot.
And those drafts normally aren’t some kind of duplicates. You’ll see different presentation styles, and those responses look independent of each other.
So this is another thing ChatGPT isn’t capable of doing. You’ll have to click regenerate at the end of each response and let it complete another one. And frankly, Bard is way faster in answering in three different versions in a timeframe in which ChatGPT struggles to draft only one.
While conversational AI is great, search engines have their own importance. So this is another aspect where Bard has a clear advantage over its competition.
At the end of each Bard response, you have this “Google it” button. This shows a few related queries right beneath upon clicking. Subsequently, one can click any preferred result and will be redirected to a search engine result page for that specific query.
Consequently, Bard has this little Google search integration that adds to a positive user experience.
Image Search (Upcoming)
A search is not complete without image input. And the same is true with conversational AI.
Google knows this well and announced support for visual prompts within Bard in its 2023 developer conference.
First, users will be able to upload images into Bard via Google Lens to get image-specific answers.
Additionally, Bard’s responses will have helpful images, taking its Google search integration to a whole new level.
Overall, it won’t be some boring text-based generative AI engine and has some visual tricks up its sleeve to eat away from ChatGPT’s market share.
It’s Free
This is arguably the biggest advantage Bard has over ChatGPT. It’s totally free, without any premium version reserved for paid users.
Additionally, I did not encounter any capacity issues with Bard that are common with ChatGPT. Occasionally, ChatGPT cuts off midway and continues only if prompted again or asked if the response is complete, which isn’t best for user experience.
Is it a wrap?
Certainly not! Google knows it has already lost some ground to ChatGPT in the generative AI space. And it will leave no stone unturned to assert its dominance.
So while Bard is still in beta and not as much creative as ChatGPT, it has a few factors that matter for a typical internet user. Personally, I feel ChatGPT is more of a B2B product, whereas Bard seems like focussing on the end-consumers.
Conclusively, they can end up in entirely different hands at the end of the day. But when face to face, they will present an interesting battle. And fret not; we will keep you posted.
PS: Microsoft isn’t behind in this AI race. And here are a few ways you can use Bing AI chat on any web browser.
