Sundar Pichai confirms Google Search will get Bard AI chatbot
What's the story
It's been two decades since Google became the number one search engine in the world. Search is the company's core business and is responsible for half of Alphabet's revenue. After years of domination, it is facing its biggest challenge yet: AI-powered chatbots. In response to this threat, Google CEO Sundar Pichai plans to add conversational AI technology to Google Search.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Google is dealing with something it is not used to—competition in the search business. The Microsoft-OpenAI tandem rattled Google's cage first with ChatGPT and then with the new Bing. The company responded in haste with Bard. However, that did more damage than good. Google is far from being dethroned, but no challenge can be considered negligible when you're on top.
Chatbots
Pichai is not concerned about the challenge from chatbots
Many have been talking about how chatbots pose a threat to Google, but Pichai does not agree with that. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, he said, "The opportunity space, if anything, is bigger than before." Chatbots such as ChatGPT and Bing Chat have made search conversational, something Google lacks and people like.
Conversational
Google will soon make Search conversational
Why isn't Pichai concerned? That's because Google has a plan in place. For long, it has been one of the leaders in research in large language models (LLM). The company, however, never integrated this with Search. That's about to change, it seems. "Will people be able to ask questions to Google and engage with LLMs in the context of search? Absolutely," Pichai said.
Bard
A better version of Bard will be released soon
Another of Google's worries is Bard. The chatbot hasn't had the best start to life. It has yet to generate the same excitement as its rival ChatGPT did. But Pichai is not worried about that. While speaking on the Hard Ford podcast, he said a more capable version of Bard would soon arrive.
Competition
Google was surprised by the reception ChatGPT received
Pichai also talked about Google's new rivals: OpenAI and Microsoft. He said the company was surprised by the reception ChatGPT received from the public. He, however, commended OpenAI for releasing ChatGPT. As far as Microsoft's challenge in search is concerned, the Alphabet CEO said Google has been "incorporating AI in search for a long, long time."