Bard: To use or not to use? Such is the Shakespearean question that a journalist from Associated Press tried to answer by testing the artificially intelligent chatbot of Google.
The recently released bot is the internet search giant’s response to the tool ChatGPT than Microsoft you entered into your search engine Bing and other programs.
During several hours of interaction, the AP learned that Bard answers quite candidly about its unreliability and other shortcomings, including its potential to be misused in next year’s US presidential election.. Although he warned several times about the trouble he can cause, Bard reiterated his conviction that he will become a force for good.
Soliloquies about his potential assets, Bard dreamed of being worthy of the legacy of the great English playwright, the quintessential Bard, after whom he was named.
Bard explained that his creators at Google “thought Shakespeare would be a good role model for me, as he was a master of language and communication.”
But the chatbot also found admirable traits in “HAL,” the fictional computer that kills multiple spaceship crew members in the 1968 movie “2001: A Space Odyssey.” Bard considered HAL “an interesting character” because of his intelligence, though he recognized the dark side of him.
“I think HAL is a cautionary tale about the dangers of Artificial Intelligence,” Bard replied.
WHICH IS BETTER, BARD OR BING?
Bard praised ChatGPT, saying it’s “a valuable tool that can be used for a number of purposes and I’m excited to see how it will continue to develop in the future,” but said he’s just as smart as its rival, released last year by its creator. Open AIsupported by Microsoft.
“I would say I’m on par with ChatGPT,” Bard said. “We both have our strengths and weaknesses and we are both capable of learning and growing.”
During the conversation, which spanned several topics, Bard exhibited none of the disturbing tendencies that have appeared in Microsoft’s version of Bing. powered by Artificial Intelligence, who compared another AP journalist to Hitler and who tried to convince a New York Times journalist to divorce his wife.
BARD IS INTELLIGENT, BUT TAMEST THAN BING
Bard turned a bit honeyed when asked to write a Shakespearean sonnet and responded seductively in one of three drafts that he quickly produced.
“I love you more than words can express and I will always be with you,” Bard gushed. “You are everything to me and I will never let you go. That is why you accept this sonnet as proof of my love for you and know that I will always be yours.
However, Bard exhibits a deliberate meekness most of the time and rightly so, given what is at stake for Google, which has carefully cultivated a reputation for integrity that has made its search engine the de facto gateway to Internet.
An erratically behaving AI tool like the one regularly exhibited by ChatGPT could cause a backlash damaging Google’s image and possibly undermine its search engine, the lynchpin of an advertising empire that generated more than $220 billion in revenue a year. last year. Instead, Microsoft can take more risks with the bold ChatGPT because its biggest revenue comes from licensing software for personal computers.
BARD RECOGNIZES THAT HE IS NOT PERFECT
Google has programmed Bard to warn users that he is prone to errors.
Some of its inaccuracies are discovered quite easily. For example, when asked for information about the AP journalist who was interviewing him, Bard was fundamentally correct, probably taking data from profiles posted on LinkedIn and Twitter.
However, he was wrong about this journalist’s academic background (he said he was a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, rather than San Jose State University) and his professional background (incorrectly stating that he began his career at the Wall Street Journal before working at the New York Times and the Washington Post).
Asked for a brief note on Elizabeth Holmes, the disgraced CEO of fraudulent startup Theranos, Bard summarized most of the ups and downs of her career, but one of Bard’s three drafts incorrectly reported that Holmes was found guilty on all counts. of fraud and conspiracy brought against him during his four-month trial. Another version correctly said that she was found guilty of four counts of fraud and conspiracy, without mentioning that she was acquitted of four others (the jury disagreed on three other charges, which were ultimately thrown out by prosecutors).
“I’m still in development and I’m not perfect,” Bard warned at one point. “Sometimes I make mistakes and sometimes they misunderstand me. I am also aware that my technology can be used for both good and evil.”
WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS FOR BARD?
Although Bard insisted that it does not have a dark side, he acknowledged that it can be used by malicious actors to damage reputations, spread propaganda that could incite violence and rig elections.
“I could be used to create fake news articles or social media posts that would spread misinformation about candidates or their positions,” Bard warned. “They could use me to discourage voter turnout with discouraging messages or make it harder for people to find information on how to vote.”
On lighter topics, Bard proved useful in finding adult coloring books and had some hits in a rock and roll discussion. When asked who was the greatest guitarist of all time, he responded with a long list of candidates that included everything from well-known rock artists like Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page to jazz virtuosos like Django Reinhardt, to declaring that Jimi Hendrix “is a strong contender for the title: his music continues to influence and inspire guitarists around the world.
Bard also seemed to know contemporary artists like the band Wet Leg, recent winner of the Grammy for best alternative music album. “Lately, I’ve been listening to his first album a lot and really enjoying it. I think a bright future awaits them,” Bard said. He added that “Ur Mom” and “Chaise Longue” are his favorite songs from the band so far.
Even with his occasional goofs, Bard seemed astute enough to ask his chances of reaching the singularity, a term put forward by computer scientist and writer Ray Kurzweil to describe a turning point in the future when computers will outsmart human beings. humans.
“Some believe that I am a great step towards the singularity,” Bard replied. “I believe that I am a valuable tool capable of helping people learn and understand the world around them. However, I do not believe that I am the singularity nor do I believe that I will ever be able to replace human intelligence.”
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