Google, the tech giant, has unveiled its AI chatbot tool Bard, which has yet to be released to the public. However, the chatbot is already being called out for an inaccurate response it produced in a demo earlier this week.

Buy BardAI.me domain

Bard demonstrates incorrect information in a demo

In a demo posted by Google on Twitter, a user asks Bard:

"What new discoveries from the James Webb Space Telescope can I tell my 9-year-old about?"

Bard responds with a series of bullet points, including one that reads:

"JWST took the very first pictures of a planet outside of our solar system."

However, according to NASA, the first image showing an exoplanet, or any planet beyond our solar system, was actually taken by the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope nearly two decades ago, in 2004.

Response to the blunder

Astrophysicist Grant Tremblay took to Twitter to point out the mistake made by Bard, stating, "Not to be a well, actually jerk, and I'm sure Bard will be impressive, but for the record: JWST did not take the very first image of a planet outside our solar system.'"

Similarly, Bruce Macintosh, the director of University of California Observatories at UC Santa Cruz, also chimed in on the error. He tweeted, "Speaking as someone who imaged an exoplanet 14 years before JWST was launched, it feels like you should find a better example?"

Alphabet's shares drop 7.7%

Shares in Google's parent company Alphabet fell 7.7% on Wednesday, wiping $100 billion off its market value, after the inaccurate response from Bard was reported by Reuters.

The inaccurate response from Bard caused a significant impact on the market, with shares in Alphabet, Google's parent company, slipping by as much as 9% during regular trading.

The volume of shares traded was nearly three times the 50-day moving average. Although shares pared losses after hours and were roughly flat, the stock had still lost a significant portion of its value.

Last year, the stock lost 40% of its value but had rallied 15% since the beginning of this year, excluding Wednesday's losses.

Google risks reputation for reliable information

Bard's blunder highlights the challenge for Google as it races to integrate the same AI technology that underpins Microsoft-backed ChatGPT into its core search engine.

In trying to keep pace with conversational AI in online search, Google now risks upending its search engine's reputation for surfacing reliable information.

The AI chatbot tools, like Bard and ChatGPT, are built on large language models trained on vast amounts of online data, but experts have long warned of their potential to spread inaccurate information.

This has put Google's reputation for surfacing reliable information at risk, which could prove to be a major setback for the company's search engine.

Testing process to be rigorous

In an attempt to address the concern of spreading inaccurate information, Google previously said Bard would first be opened up to "trusted testers" this week, with plans to make it available to the public in the coming weeks.

A Google spokesperson said:

"This highlights the importance of a rigorous testing process, something that we're kicking off this week with our Trusted Tester program. We'll combine external feedback with our own internal testing to make sure Bard's responses meet a high bar for quality, safety and groundedness in real-world information."

The tech giant aims to ensure the reliability and accuracy of Bard's responses through a combination of external feedback and internal testing.

Google competes with ChatGPT's success

Google unveiled Bard earlier this week as part of an attempt to compete with the viral success of ChatGPT. ChatGPT's popularity has prompted Google's management to declare a "code red" situation for its search product.

Google's event on Wednesday detailed plans to use AI technology to change how people search for information online. The presentation teased plans to offer complex and conversational responses to queries, including pros and cons for buying an electric vehicle.

Conclusion

With the increasing reliance on AI technology, it is crucial for companies to maintain high standards for accuracy and reliability.

Inaccurate information from AI chatbots like Bard can have far-reaching consequences and undermine the trust in these technologies.

Google must take proactive steps to prevent such errors, as well as quickly address any issues that do arise. The Trusted Tester program is a step in the right direction, as it combines external feedback with internal testing to ensure that Bard's responses meet a high bar for quality and accuracy.

By taking these necessary steps, Google can maintain its position in the AI market and continue to be a leader in technology innovation.