In a recent CNET article, I predicted that Alphabet’s GOOGL,
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Google will be forced to create its own digital dukes and provide a worthy rival to ChatGPT if it wants to remain the king of search engines. That time has come.
DeepMind, a subsidiary of Google, is gearing up to launch Sparrow, touted as a safer, “harmless” and more reliable alternative to Microsoft-backed MSFT.
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ChatGPT. Although the exact date has yet to be confirmed, DeepMind is planning a private beta later this year.
“ The AI learned from the internet, which is often rude, biased, and wrong. ”
I’ve been using ChatGPT since it first became available, so I’m aware of both its shortcomings and its huge potential if you know how to use it properly.
Its shortcomings are the result of several issues ranging from inconsistencies in training AI models to limitations based on the dataset. Simply put, AI has learned from the Internet, which is often rude, biased, and wrong. The limitations of ChatGPT, for example, include the occasional provision of incorrect information and malicious instructions or biased content.
Sparrow can solve many of these problems because it can rely on a much cleaner dataset thanks to direct access to Google’s excellent semantic search engine and years of research.
DeepMind will likely optimize the dataset and apply filters to refine the model to provide more accurate information that also comes with active backlinks, which the OpenAI model is currently unable to do.
As a result, it is also highly likely that Sparrow will be more limited in his abilities. This makes sense because Google is using it to quickly respond to a threat to its search engine empire, not to provide a generic AI model.
During initial assessments, Sparrow was able to give a credible answer and back it up with evidence 78% of the time he was asked a factual question. These performance results are impressive, especially early in the development cycle, and it’s more than likely that Google’s AI model will perform very well once released.
However, the clash of AI giants opens the way to something much more sinister, at least for Google. The company began developing Sparrow because they feared that people would end up relying on ChatGPT rather than its own engine for their search queries.
Even if Google wins this battle, it will have to take the next step: integrating Sparrow into Google’s search engine and advertising business. It will be an expensive and risky overhaul.
Sparrow will need to work seamlessly with the current engine, leverage its results, and lend a helping hand with the company’s powerful ad delivery system. Adding an additional AI model to a cohesive ecosystem and constantly training it on a highly dynamic data set (so that it becomes a useful part of the equation, rather than a dangling cannon spitting out outdated information and nonsense) will be a difficult and expensive task. .
It’s a bullet Google will have to bite because its competitors don’t have a $209 billion advertising empire to defend and can “move fast and smash things” with less repercussions.
Speaking of consequences, there could be several for Google if something goes wrong. If the search engine giant implements this model too early and starts making misleading or biased comments during difficult times like elections, or on divisive social and political topics, it could cause costly problems for Google – those who can deliver questioned his reputation and lead to various legal actions.
On the other hand, Microsoft’s low-quality Bing search engine may finally be getting the boost it needs to shake off irrelevance now that the company has acquired an exclusive license to the low-quality technology behind ChatGPT’s predecessor GPT-3 in 2019.
Also, unlike Google, Microsoft does not need to protect its current cash flow from advertising revenue (only $7.7 billion in 2020, there is a lot of room for improvement), and we can expect Microsoft to actively and aggressively integrate this model into your pipeline. .
While both AI models have their strengths and weaknesses, the success of Sparrow and ChatGPT will have a significant impact on the future of search engines and online advertising. The battle between these AI giants will also have implications for data privacy, the accuracy of information, and the role of AI in society.
Next up: People are crazy about ChatGPT. Here is a practical application for marketers, programmers and journalists