May 10 (Reuters) – Alphabet Inc’s Google(GOOGL.O) on Wednesday unveiled an updated core search product that embeds more AI into its answers as the company looks to dispel doubts that it is losing ground to Microsoft Corp’s ( MSFT.O ) OpenAI-powered Bing search.
Google already has a Bard chatbot that competes with ChatGPT, the chatbot from OpenAI that has generated a lot of excitement among users with its human-like responses.
SO WHEN SHOULD YOU GOOGLE AND WHEN SHOULD YOU BARD?
The company says that traditional Google search should still be used for searching and finding information, such as shopping.
Bard is a chatbot with a persona that can hold human-like conversations, and is intended to be used for creative collaboration, for example, to develop software code or write a caption for a photo.
WHAT ARE UPDATES TO GOOGLE SEARCH?
With an improved search called Search Generative Experience, Google’s home page still looks and behaves like its familiar search bar.
The difference is in the answers: if the new Google finds that generative AI can be used to answer a query, the AI-generated response will be displayed at the top of the results page. Traditional Web links will remain below.
For example, a search for “weather San Francisco” will direct a user to an eight-day forecast, while a query asking what clothes to wear in the California city prompts a lengthy AI-generated response, according to a demonstration for Reuters earlier this week.
“You should bring layers, including a short-sleeved shirt and a light sweater or jacket for the day,” the result states, including links to websites from which it obtained such advice.
Users can also enter a new “conversational mode,” which like Bard and ChatGPT remembers previous user questions so users can more easily ask follow-ups.
However, the company points out that the conversational mode is not designed to be a chatbot with a personality; it is only intended to help refine search results. For example, its responses will never contain the phrase “I”, unlike Bard and ChatGPT.
SHOULD I TRY THE NEW GOOGLE SEARCH NOW?
Not yet. US consumers will have access to the Search Generative Experience in the coming weeks through a wait list, a trial phase during which Google will monitor the quality, speed and cost of search results, the company said.
SHOULD I TRY THE BARD NOW?
The company said Wednesday that Bard is now available without a waiting list in 180 countries and territories, and plans to expand its support to 40 languages.
Reporting by Anna Tong in San Francisco; Additional reporting by Jeffrey Dastin and Greg Bensinger in Mountain View, California Editing by Sayantani Ghosh and Matthew Lewis
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