The arrival of ChatGPT, which now has more than 100 million users, has turned tech upside down. And in addition to showing a new facet of artificial intelligence, the OpenAI chatbot also threatens a digital giant: Google. Indeed, the impressive performance (despite some inaccuracies) of ChatGPT makes it a potential replacement for traditional search engines (Google’s flagship product). With generative AIs, one could move from keyword-based searches for links, to chatting with a smart chatbot that directly answers questions.
But Google, of course, does not intend to be overtaken by this startup. And for a while we know that the Mountain View firm is working on an answer to ChatGPT. According to rumors, the firm would have even declared a “red code” in the face of this threat. Recently, sources cited by CNBC discussed the products that Google would be testing with its employees, including a chatbot called Apprentice Bard, and an integration of new AI on the search engine.
In any case, we will know more about Google’s response to ChatGPT this February. Indeed, the firm has just announced a special event, which will take place in Paris and which will be broadcast on YouTube, on February 8. “We’re reimagining the way people search, explore and interact with information, making it more natural and intuitive than ever to find what you need. Join us to find out how we are opening up better access to information for people around the world, through search, Maps and beyond,” reads the description of the live stream which is already scheduled on Youtube.
Sundar Pichai says more
Google has also just presented its financial results for the last quarter of 2022. And during the traditional conference call, Sundar Pichai also announced the future integration of artificial intelligence into the search engine. “Very soon, users will be able to directly interact with our latest and most powerful language models as search companions in experimental and innovative ways ,” said the Google CEO.
“Second, we will provide new tools and APIs for developers, creators and partners. This will allow them to innovate and create their own applications and discover new possibilities with AI in addition to our linguistic, multimodal and other AI models” , he also said during this conference call.
In other words, Google, which has invested heavily in research around artificial intelligence, will show its muscles. And moreover, this transformation does not only concern Google Search or Google Maps. Google will offer its major language models on its productivity suite, including the Gmail and Docs apps. Pichai also mentions generative AIs that can help designers. And Google also intends (even more) to boost its advertising platform with artificial intelligence.
Before this announcement from Google, it was thought that it could present its new AI-based products at the Google I/O conference in May. But we can understand that there is urgency. Indeed, as ChatGPT accumulates users, it improves. And according to rumors, Microsoft’s Bing search engine could, in a few weeks , integrate an improved version of ChatGPT. Moreover, OpenAI would prepare a mobile application that would allow the chatbot to attract even more users.
