Chatbot battle gets real! Now, Alibaba is testing ChatGPT rival
Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba has become the latest to board the generative AI bandwagon. The company confirmed that it is developing a ChatGPT-like tool. The chatbot is currently in internal testing. Alibaba's statement came after the Chinese newspaper 21st Century Herald reported that the company is currently working on a chatbot like ChatGPT. Chinese tech giant Baidu is also working on a similar tool.
Why does this story matter?
The AI space is about to get crowded with chatbots that are capable of engaging in human-like conversations. All because of OpenAI's ChatGPT that took the world by storm. ChatGPT's success has shown other tech giants what the future would look like, and everyone wants a piece of that lucrative pie. The question is, will they all be as good as ChatGPT or not?
Alibaba did not get into details about the chatbot
Per the Chinese newspaper, Alibaba has opened the chatbot to employees for testing. It also said that the company plans to combine the chatbot with its communications app DingTalk. However, Alibaba has not provided specific details about the tool's features or release date. The company also didn't say how it would put the AI to work.
Been working on AI and LLM since 2017: Alibaba
"Frontier innovations such as large language models and generative AI have been our [focus] areas since the formation of DAMO in 2017," said an Alibaba spokesperson. DAMO stands for discovery, adventure, momentum, and outlook. "As a technology leader, we will continue to invest in turning cutting-edge innovations into value-added applications for our customers as well as their end-users."
Baidu's chatbot is expected to be launched in March
The past few days have seen Chinese tech stocks rallying as the frenzy over ChatGPT spurred speculative bets on the technology. Another Chinese tech giant that is developing a ChatGPT-like tool is Baidu, China's answer to Google. Baidu's bot named 'Wenxin Yiyan' (in Chinese) or ERNIE (Enhanced Representation through Knowledge Integration) is set to be launched in March.
Google is testing its 'Bard' chatbot
Microsoft-backed ChatGPT's success has prompted Google to enter the race with its own version called Bard. It is now available for testing. Chinese tech group JD.com also announced its plans to integrate ChatGPT's methods and technology into some of its products.
