The technological landscape has witnessed remarkable progress recently, yet the past week has been particularly seismic.
When future generations inquire about the AI revolution, you will likely reflect on February 2023 with nostalgia.
ChatGPT Ascends to a Premium Tier
The AI community encountered a significant shift, akin to a galaxy of chatbots being abruptly eclipsed. ChatGPT has maxed out its user capacity.
ChatGPT, a standout in the realm of AI offerings, was once available at no cost, sparking an AI frenzy — ProductHunt quickly became replete with lists of ‘reliable’ chatbots. OpenAI, the brains behind ChatGPT, took a commercial turn by introducing a subscription model for ChatGPT, touting expedited access at a monthly fee of $20.
As this shift disrupts the ambitions of countless independent developers, it also raises ethical concerns. These revolve around the use of an AI trained on public contributions, an issue that seemed less contentious back when it was freely accessible.
Bing Chat Outperforms Google
For a considerable duration, Google has reigned supreme in the search engine arena, largely due to its closely protected search algorithm.
Naysayers doubted Google’s stronghold would be challenged when Microsoft released Bing. However, a mass departure from Google failed to manifest.
Returning to the lab, Bing’s team devised a strategy to counter Google’s algorithmic might. The resulting innovation was Bing Chat, a chatbot that not only presents search results but also simplifies the inquiry into a concise answer sourced from the most trusted information available.
Microsoft’s Bing Chat, which utilizes the ChatGPT engine — presumably Microsoft is on board with the $20/month priority service.
This progression towards search engines repurposing and claiming responses as their own stands to overshadow previous debates surrounding Google’s AMP initiative.
Google’s Bard Missteps
Feeling threatened by Bing Chat, Google hastily unveiled a glimpse of Bard, its competitor in the AI-powered search field.
With Google’s reputation as an AI innovator, being caught off-guard by AI’s role in search likely prompted a premature reveal.
In a demonstration designed to eclipse Microsoft’s announcement, Bard inaccurately reported that JWST captured the first images of an exoplanet, a feat achieved years prior to its launch. This blunder resulted in a staggering $100 billion drop in Alphabet’s market value.
Although Google representatives emphasized that Bard remains in testing phases and will harness the power of the comprehensive LaMDA, the incident underscores the perils of AI-generated content: It’s not only prone to inaccuracies but also persuasive enough to make spotting falsehoods challenging.
The Horizon Ahead
The rivalry between Google Bard and Microsoft Bing sets the stage for a monumental tech competition. Bing may have won the opening skirmish, but rest assured that a meticulous review is underway within Google to prevent further setbacks. And all of this is just the prelude to the potential impact of the anticipated Apple iSearch, potentially pre-installed on millions of iPhones.
The surging presence of AI is entwined with a labyrinth of ethical, technical, and societal queries, leaving the future trajectory somewhat uncertain.
Nonetheless, one thing is evident: a paradigm shift commenced this week. We are witnessing the initial salvos in a conflict destined to redefine the web’s next ten years.
