The emergence of chatbots and their subsequent success has kickstarted competition between tech giants to put out the best interfaces that individuals can use and implement. ChatGPT garnered over 100 million monthly users in merely 2 months of its operation in January 2023, making it one of the fastest-growing applications to be ever created. Subsequently, Google launched its chatbot—Bard AI—which runs on the LaMDA model to compete with other existing players in the chatbot space. While the arrival was delayed and also witnessed a few initial setbacks, Google’s chatbot has still made a mark on its users and is bound to improve over time. That being said, both Bard and ChatGPT have a vast array of differences that range from the language models they function on to the extent of their operational capabilities.
Though several new chatbots remain under development, ChatGPT and Bard have attained a special place in the discussion, given that the former gained a deluge of initial traction, and despite it not being the first of its kind, it is indeed the first to garner such a vast user base. Bard, on the other hand, has come to fruition after prolonged research and development from Google—a tech giant that has been a pioneer in numerous niches. As both Bard and ChatGPT get newer and better improvements, the two chatbots are bound to compete for both casual users and potential clients that intend on integrating these technologies into their businesses. Moreover, other crucial sectors such as education and learning will also be impacted by such potential rivalries, since AI’s presence in the edutech space seems to be on a constant rise. The subsequent sections of this article will take a closer look at the differences between Bard and ChatGPT, along with the future of these chatbots.
Bard vs. ChatGPT: Understanding the Differences
While both Bard and ChatGPT interact with users, their core purposes around which they’re modeled are distinct.
Both ChatGPT and Google Bard have several differences that set them apart and might form the basis of future distinctions that determine the nature of their respective chatbots. Bard AI and ChatGPT are based on natural language processing technology that uses complex neural networks and statistical sequencing to understand and decode human language. As these chatbots and their interfaces become integrated with everyday tools such as search engines, it’s important to understand what sets the two apart. The core differences between the competing chatbot AIs are listed below.
1) Language Models
ChatGPT currently functions on the GPT-3.5 model. While the more advanced GPT-4 is already out, it is restricted to subscribers and users that have been approved from a waitlist. GPT-4 is purportedly a major improvement on the existing functionalities of GPT-3.5 and has showcased higher rates of accuracy, efficiency, and fidelity. Conversely, Google’s chatbot runs on the LaMDA model. However, recent reports suggest that the company intends on upgrading Bard to a more advanced model named PaLM (Pathways Language Model) that can endow it with far better capabilities. Larger in extent and more recent, PaLM might make Bard more efficient and reliable in its information, also providing it with complex functionalities such as coding and advanced reasoning techniques—aspects that Bard currently lacks.
2) Training and Data
An area where the underlying differences between Bard and ChatGPT become apparent is in the case of the language models’ datasets. ChatGPT has primarily trained on finite datasets—despite being expansive—and selected by its developers. It consists primarily of web crawls, Wikipedia pages, web pages, articles, books, and journals. However, the dataset consists only of information until September 2021, making ChatGPT ignorant of information on real-world events following this period. Though GPT-4 is slated to be a massive improvement on the existing model, its dataset, too, is finite and has the same cutoff date. Conversely, Bard is trained on an infinite set and remains connected to the internet. Its language model is trained on web crawls, Wikipedia pages, articles, and conversations. However, Bard will conduct real-time searches and scour the internet for prompt and latest editions of answers to user questions. Also, it is interesting to note that new plugins will allow even the GPT series language models to connect to the internet and offer real-time responses from the web.
3) Preliminary Functionality
The training datasets set of the language models these AIs are based on sets the primary focus of these AI tools. The GPT series language models have been preliminarily trained on becoming proficient in generating, interpreting, and summarizing text. ChatGPT bases its focus on analyzing a piece of text and providing the user with the purport of it, alongside serving other functions such as translation, writing essays, and structuring research papers. On the other hand, Bard’s training has deployed a core focus on conversational attributes and understanding the nuances of human communication. Bard’s function remains to optimize its conversations for users to allow them to feel like they’re interacting with another human being. While ChatGPT emphasizes the generative aspects of AI, Bard bases itself around communication.
4) Usage and Future
The usage of ChatGPT thus far has primarily revolved around its preliminary functions of generating and summarizing text. While this has caused considerable angst in especially the education sector, optimizing it to meet ethical and academic concerns might render it an effective tool in the future of technology. While currently integrated with Microsoft’s Bing, GPT-4’s model fulfills a variety of tasks including internet search on the platform. In contrast, though Bard is not currently integrated with Google’s reputed search engine, there exist tangible reports that the tech titan will eventually integrate its chatbot’s capabilities with its search feature. Similarly, Bard’s extensive training in conversational analysis and other communicative technicalities will allow Google to better integrate these learnings into its existing assistant feature, allowing users to access and interact with an improved AI assistant software in the future.
Potential and Impact of Chatbot Rivalries on Education
Competition in the chatbot space will have lasting implications for sectors such as education.
With consistent advancements in AI technologies only bound to increase over time, there remains no doubt that chatbots like Bard and ChatGPT will progress to attain better capabilities. From restrictions on the usage of chatbots to regulations on their application, both institutions and regulatory bodies have undertaken measures to buttress the impact of rapidly developing technologies on students and education. Though this is indeed a pragmatic move as academicians and other experts analyze the impact of generative AI on education, it also becomes increasingly notable that AI’s reach in education and academia will see a consistent rise over time. Rivalries such as the ones between Bard and ChatGPT have the potential to determine the extent of these platforms’ usage and their impact on the different sectors that deploy these technologies. Much like how competition between search engines played out over a few years before Google emerged to become the undisputed leader, the rivalries between chatbots, too, might take some time to come to a definitive resolution.