Bard vs ChatGPT: How are the two free-to-use AI chatbots different?
May 12, 2023, 15:29 IST
- Google has made Bard available for free at its I/O 2023 event.
- Bard is designed for dialogues, while ChatGPT is designed for textual functions.
- Below, let's look at the key differences between these two AI chatbots.
Advertisement
ChatGPT has become a constant when it comes to making headlines. With the ability to provide novel and human-like responses to any query in mere seconds, it quickly gained popularity among users. ChatGPT's responses surpassed what Google or Bing could provide, from essays on historical events to creative writing.Not to be outdone, Google recently made its AI chatbot Bard available in over 180 countries. The tech giant has also added several features to enhance the user experience. This move comes when OpenAI's ChatGPT is making waves across industries with its impressive abilities in natural language processing. Bard, Google's answer to ChatGPT, was unveiled in March and piqued many tech enthusiasts' interest.
After using Bard for a few days, I did a little digging to see how it will stack up against ChatGPT—and the main differences between the two chatbots. Here's what we know so far. We used the free-to-use versions of both bots to keep the comparison parameters level.
Exploring key differences between Bard and ChatGPT
Both chatbots employ natural language processing at a fundamental level, enabling users to input a prompt or inquiry and receive a human-like response. However, the critical distinction lies in the data sources and models on which they have been trained.
Here's a quick breakdown of how they compare
| ChatGPT | Bard | |
| Creators | OpenAI | |
| Language model | The version used varies, but typically, a customized version of OpenAI's Generative Pre-training Transformer 3 (GPT-3) or Generative Pre-training Transformer 4 (GPT-4) is employed. | Google's Language Model for Dialogue Applications (LaMDA) |
| Data sources | ChatGPT was trained on an extensive text dataset comprising Common Crawl, Wikipedia, books, articles, documents, and content scraped from the open internet. However, its sources conclude in 2021, restricting its coverage of recent global events and research. | Bard was trained on Infiniset, a dataset consisting of Common Crawl, Wikipedia, documents, and online conversations and dialogues. According to reports, Bard will scour the internet in real-time to locate the most current responses to inquiries and the latest research. |
| Pricing | ChatGPT is free to all users, ChatGPT Plus costs $20 per month | Free |
Advertisement
Both models utilize a transformer architecture, which is a form of neural network that processes sequential input. However, while GPT-3 and GPT-4 were trained on an enormous text dataset gathered from the internet (including books, articles, and documents from the open internet), LaMDA was trained on Infiniset, a dataset that concentrates on dialogue and conversations. This indicates that LaMDA is trained to comprehend the user's question's intent and context nuances.
ChatGPT is capable of generating vast amounts of text, Bard can draw on the web as a source of information
Like ChatGPT, users can ask Bard questions on various topics, such as recipes, party planning tips, or historical events. However, the significant distinction is that Bard can source its responses from the internet, providing real-time data, which is better since ChatGPT is still operating under the impression that it's 2021. But using the paid version will give access to similar results.
Bard provides a better user experience
Bard's user interface is light years ahead in terms of user-friendliness. Its formatted text is much easier to scan than ChatGPT's chunky text, and it allows users to edit their questions after asking them and view multiple prepared responses.
Advertisement
SEE ALSO:
Is WhatsApp secretly listening to your private conversations? Here’s how to check
Google Pixel 6a vs Pixel 7a: Is Google's latest mid-ranger worth the extra ₹12,000?