Google Bard vs ChatGPT: Comparison Of Features & Uses Of The Competing Chatbots

Google’s AI-powered chatbot Bard is now available in India and is being touted as the biggest competitor for Microsoft-backed OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

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Google Bard vs ChatGPT: Comparison Of Features & Uses Of The Competing Chatbots

On May 10, 2023, tech giant Google held its annual conference in California, USA and announced that its AI-powered chatbot Bard is now available in 180 countries, including India. Initially available in only the US and UK, Bard has been touted as the biggest competitor for Microsoft-backed OpenAI’s ChatGPT. But if we compare Google Bard vs ChatGPT, which AI is better? Let’s take a look.

Ever since Open AI introduced ChatGPT last year in November, the chatbot has taken over our timelines and imaginations. By writing complex codes and answering everyday queries, even if incorrectly, the chatbot’s capabilities raised multifaceted discussions on technology replacing humans, while also fuelling conspiracy theories of a real-life Matrix. However, the biggest question remained, is ChatGPT replacing Google?

Not one to back away, Google swiftly came up with Bard - though its initial launch in March this year was anything but smooth. Glitches and wrong answers dominated the live stream which was positioned as a public unveiling of Google’s generative AI chatbot. But, it now appears that the Bard has finally found its tune.

Here’s a look at how the Bard compares to ChatGPT:

Google Bard vs ChatGPT: What Are The Differences?

Both Bard and ChatGPT essentially work as interactive search engines, answering your queries in a manner that imitates human interaction. Both chatbots provide responses to queries raised by humans, but unlike the page links and answers generated by search engines (like Google and Bing), Bard and ChatGPT retrieve information from myriad sources and present it as a single response.

Here’s a comparative look at their features and uses:

ChatGPT	Bard
Accessible through the OpenAI site for everyone	Accessible only for Google accounts through the Google Bard site
Available for free. A paid version, ChatGPT Plus is also available.	Available for free
Available for all	Available in 180 countries, including India
Based on GPT (Generative Pre-Trained Transformer)	Based on LaMDA (Language Model for Dialogue Applications)
Responses are primarily based on data till 2021. It has limited knowledge of the world and events after 2021	Responses are based on real-time information from Google Search
Available in over 50 languages, including English, Spanish, French, German, etc.	Available in US English, Japanese and Korean
Content generated needs to be copy pasted to other mediums like emails, Google Docs, etc.	Content can be exported to Gmail and Google Docs
Doesn’t allow voice prompts	Allows voice prompts

Is Google Bard Better Than ChatGPT?

The short answer is that it’s too soon to tell.

The biggest drawback for both chatbots is that they can generate inaccurate answers. Both ChatGPT and Bard generate answers using information available on the internet - but may not always share the source of the information and thus, require additional verification. Though compared to ChatGPT, Bard does have access to information that is more recent.

Currently, both chatbots are constantly being trained on the feedback submitted by users and may improve in future.

Can Google Bard Replace Google Search?

No. Simply put, Google Bard is an interactive chatbot that provides responses to users’ queries in a conversational manner. Google Search, on the other hand, is a search engine which lists multiple responses (with sources) to a user’s queries. At present, Google Search is still the preferred choice for most users to search for information.