Conversational AI is taking the world by storm lately, with chatbots like ChatGPT capturing public imagination for how useful they can be. Now Google is joining the party with Bard, an AI chatbot that can have natural, helpful conversations on any topic you can imagine.
Access is extremely limited, requiring joining a waitlist that already has millions of eager people signed up. Let‘s dive into everything you need to know about getting access to try out Google‘s promising entry into the red-hot chatbot race.
What Makes Bard Different Than Other Chatbots
Bard is powered by LaMDA, which stands for Language Model for Dialogue Applications. It was developed by Google researchers over several years specifically to allow for sophisticated conversations that are natural, flexible and deeply knowledgeable.
LaMDA uses deep learning and trillions of parameters to analyze vast datasets spanning all human knowledge. This allows it to generate highly detailed and nuanced responses suited for dialogue instead of just keywords.
Other chatbots like ChatGPT are powered by models like GPT-3, which excels at generating human-like text but in a more rigid, response-reply format. The goal with LaMDA was to move closer to truly conversational AI.
Google uses reinforcement learning to train LaMDA through simulated dialogues to improve context, personality and specificity. The researchers also apply principles of making the AI helpful, harmless and honest.
This focus enables Bard to provide informative, high-quality and trustworthy responses on complex topics – setting it apart from earlier attempts at conversation agents.
Joining the Bard Waitlist – Step-by-Step
Demand for trying Bard has been enormous, with Google confirming millions have joined the waitlist within just days of opening signups.
Here is the step-by-step process to throw your name into the hat and wait eagerly for your chance to chat with Bard:
Step 1) Go to the Bard website: bard.google.com
Step 2) Click on the large blue "Join waitlist" button near the top and log in with your personal Google Account when prompted.
Step 3) Accept the terms of service and privacy policy, then click "Yes I‘m in" to finish joining the waitlist.
Step 4) Check your email for confirmation. You‘ll get an email from Bard with the subject line "You‘ve been added to the waitlist!"
Step 5) Now begins the waiting game. Keep an eye out for an email from Bard with the subject "It‘s your turn to try Bard!" This means you finally got access.
Some key notes about the waitlist process:
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Only individual Gmail accounts can join, not G Suite business/workplace accounts.
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You must be located in the United States to be eligible for the waitlist for now.
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Having multiple Google accounts does not get you access faster. Limit to one per person.
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The sign up process takes less than a minute if you meet the requirements.
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Be patient. Given the massive demand, it could be weeks before getting access.
Expected Wait Time and Availability for Bard
So the big question everyone wants answered – how long is the waitlist and when can you expect to get access to Bard?
Unfortunately Google has not provided an estimated timeline, as the wait depends on demand and testing capacity. Some users have reported getting access in mere hours or days. But as more and more people join the list, wait times will lengthen.
Considering millions have already signed up in the first few days, potential wait times could stretch into weeks or even months as interest continues rising exponentially.
As a benchmark, it took most people on the waitlist 1-2 months before getting access to ChatGPT. Given Bard‘s hype, demand could be just as high or even higher.
Once accepted, Google emails you directly with an invitation to start using Bard. They are slowly scaling access to ensure high-quality results as they gather more feedback.
While you play the waiting game, let‘s look at what makes Bard such an exciting new entry in the red-hot AI chatbot race.
Bard‘s Capabilities and Use Cases
Bard aims to provide thoughtful, factual and helpful responses on any topic through natural conversations. According to Google, some key features include:
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Conversational abilities – You can have a genuine back-and-forth chat with Bard on any topic. The dialogue feels more human-like compared to earlier chatbots.
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Summarizing complex concepts – Don‘t want to read that long article or book? Ask Bard to summarize the key points for you.
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Listing pros and cons – Want a balanced take on a controversial issue? Bard can lay out nuanced pros and cons for things like policies, products, or decisions.
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Brainstorming creative ideas – Stuck trying to name your new company? Bard can suggest taglines, titles, and creative ideas tailored to you.
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Simplifying difficult subjects – Struggling with advanced physics, math or other complex topics? Bard can explain and simplify hard concepts using everyday language.
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Admitting knowledge gaps – When Bard is unsure about something, it will honestly say so rather than trying to speculate. This avoids false information.
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Personalized information – Bard aims to provide responses suited to your level of knowledge and interests on a topic.
Use cases could range from students learning about tricky subjects to business professionals researching competitors to writers generating content ideas and much more.
But it‘s not perfect. Google expects Bard‘s capabilities and safety to improve over time as it incorporates user feedback and additional training data.
How Bard Compares to ChatGPT and Other Rivals
The launch of Bard comes on the heels of ChatGPT taking the world by storm. Developed by OpenAI and backed by Microsoft, ChatGPT showcased the promise of conversational AI through its human-like responses.
Both Bard and ChatGPT rely on large language models trained on massive amounts of data. But while ChatGPT uses GPT-3, Bard is powered by LaMDA – specially designed by Google for even more natural dialogue abilities.
Some key differences based on how the companies position their chatbots:
| Bard | ChatGPT |
|---|---|
| More conversational abilities | More rigid question-response format |
| Aims to give high-quality, helpful responses | Can sometimes give plausible-sounding but incorrect answers |
| Focused on search domains | Wide-ranging general knowledge |
| Backed by Google‘s immense resources and data | Supported by Microsoft integration with Bing |
Of course, much depends on actual execution and performance once people get hands-on experience with Bard. But Google designed it from the ground up to excel at search-related information.
There are other AI chatbot options as well. Meta recently unveiled BlenderBot 3 to showcase its progress in conversational AI. Smaller startups are also innovating, but lack the scale of big tech companies.
For now, ChatGPT and Bard represent the most advanced publicly available chatbots yet thanks to their deep learning techniques and vast training by leading AI research teams.
The Race to Lead the Future of Search and AI
Bard represents a strategic play by Google to redefine search in an AI-first world and defend its dominance as people‘s go-to source for information.
Google faces an existential threat as AI chatbots like ChatGPT demonstrate the ability to provide direct, conversational answers instead of just links. This could divert searches away from Google‘s core search engine.
That‘s why Sundar Pichai, Google‘s CEO, is mobilizing massive resources and talent into conversational AI as both an offensive and defensive move. If search shifts to be AI-driven, Google wants Bard to be as synonymous with it as the Google Search we know today.
Microsoft also sees a paradigm shift to AI poised to happen faster than many expect. Integrating ChatGPT into Bing search shows they are making big bets to lead this revolution.
The tech giants know that whoever controls information could control the future. That‘s why the race is on to launch the dominant AI chatbot that becomes people‘s digital aide for knowledge and decisions.
Both companies still face challenges around accuracy, safety and managing misinformation at scale. But they are investing billions because the opportunities are even bigger, with conversational AI poised to transform search, commerce, finance and many other sectors.
Responsible Innovation in Conversational AI
The rise of advanced chatbots like Bard comes with ethical risks if not developed thoughtfully. Issues like bias, misinformation, plagiarism and more require vigilance.
Google acknowledges these concerns and designed Bard with principles focused on being helpful, harmless and honest. Its responses aim to be high-quality by providing credible information from trustworthy sources instead of speculative or false answers.
However, the system remains imperfect. As a limited preview, Google expects Bard‘s capabilities and safety to improve based on user feedback and additional training data over time.
Some best practices they are incorporating include:
- Extensive testing to improve accuracy, relevance and factual grounding.
- Developing techniques to better gauge confidence to avoid guessing.
- Expanding sources to under-represented groups to reduce bias.
- Clearly attributing sources rather than claiming originality.
- Building in safeguards to prevent harmful, dangerous or unethical responses.
The rapid pace of innovation brings risks if ethics and responsibility are an afterthought. That‘s why groups like Anthropic and the MIT-IBM Watson Lab are researching ways to make AI systems more transparent, fair and accountable.
The ideal future brings together the best of human and artificial intelligence – with people guiding values while AI enhances knowledge and abilities beyond our individual capacity.
The Future with Conversational AI Assistants
Bard and ChatGPT offer just a glimpse into the potential future powered by conversational AI. While current capabilities remain limited, rapid progress in models like LaMDA foreshadow how chatbots could profoundly transform searches, commerce, finance, transportation, healthcare and many other aspects of life.
Instead of relying on just keywords and links, people could interact conversationally with an AI assistant personalized to their needs, providing recommendations, summarizing complex issues, answering questions and boosting creativity and productivity.
This could reshape how students learn or enable scientists to make serendipitous discoveries never made before. Of course, risks exist too around misuse of such powerful technology. But with care, wisdom and guidance, AI like Bard could enhance knowledge and decision-making – allowing society to reach new heights not possible individually.
The wait may still be long for access today. But in the years ahead, conversational AI chatbots using advanced models like LaMDA could make information and expertise accessible to all and bring people closer together if developed responsibly.
Join the Waitlist and Help Shape the Future
The excitement around Bard shows the zeitgeist of AI chatbots like never before. While caution is wise, the possibilities feel limitless too.
Google is counting on real-world testing and feedback from users like you to improve Bard and usher in the next era of AI. Joining the waitlist now gives you a chance to get an early glimpse and help guide these systems toward representing the best of humanity‘s potential.
Of course, patience and measured expectations will be key. Demand is intense, so it may take some time as they judiciously scale access.
But the future is unfolding rapidly. Bard marks a major milestone in the march toward an AI-powered world. We have the opportunity today to set these technologies on a course that enhances our capabilities and lives while avoiding the pitfalls. Be part of this journey – join the Bard waitlist today.
