ChatGPT vs Google Bard - The AI Titans Showdown

Today we will step into the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence where two giants, OpenAI and Google, go head-to-head in the realm of generative AI. As businesses and individuals navigate the possibilities of AI-driven chatbots, the spotlight now shines on two key players—ChatGPT and Google Bard. 

While ChatGPT, born out of the collaboration between Microsoft and OpenAI, stormed onto the scene in November 2022, Google responded with its own contender, Bard, launched on March 21, 2023.

In this dynamic era of generative AI, where content materializes at the user's fingertips, understanding the nuances between these two powerhouses becomes paramount. The blog post you're about to embark on aims to unravel the intricacies of ChatGPT and Google Bard. From their inception and functionalities to the distinctive ways they hold conversations and shape content creation, we'll explore the strengths, use cases, and potential applications across industries of both. 

What is Google Bard

Google Bard, launched in February 2023, underwent a significant upgrade, shifting from LaMDA to the advanced PaLM 2 (Pathways Language Model). This transition expanded Bard's capabilities, making it a versatile AI companion with enhanced skills in translation, coding, and creative writing tasks.

Similar to ChatGPT, Bard employs natural language processing (NLP) and transformers for engaging conversations. What sets Bard apart is its integration of web search capabilities, providing up-to-date information for accurate responses.

Powered by PaLM 2, Bard excels in commonsense reasoning, logic, and mathematics, delivering precise and rapid responses. Unlike traditional search engines, Bard acts as a personal assistant, offering detailed answers without overwhelming users with a search results page. It caters to a global audience, supporting over 40 (and constantly growing) languages in more than 230 countries and territories.

Beyond conversation, Bard serves as a comprehensive personal assistant, aiding users in tasks from vacation booking to meal planning. The emphasis on natural language queries enhances user interaction, positioning Bard as a dynamic and user-friendly AI option. As we explore the comparison between ChatGPT and Google Bard, these unique features will guide you in navigating the evolving landscape of generative AI.

What is ChatGPT

Launched in November 2022, ChatGPT by OpenAI revolutionizes AI chatbots. Powered by large language models (LLMs) and natural language processing (NLP), it utilizes GPT architecture for real-time responses. Beyond conversation, ChatGPT excels in tasks like text translation, programming problem-solving, and reasoning.

OpenAI's commitment to evolution is evident in continuous updates, aiming to enhance performance, broaden platform compatibility, and introduce features like Android support.

GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) is at the core, with ChatGPT currently on the GPT-3.5 model and a premium ChatGPT Plus version on GPT-4.

Within five days of launch, ChatGPT reached 1 million users, attesting to its rapid adoption and effectiveness.

ChatGPT's versatility shines as it tackles diverse tasks, from code writing to blog posts and translations. This article explores ChatGPT's strengths, use cases, and impact, offering insights into the dynamic world of AI-generated content.

A Deeper Look At The UX With Both AIs

Upon initial inspection, Bard and ChatGPT showcase resemblances in their offerings:

Text Formatting: Both AI chatbots seamlessly apply basic formatting, such as headings and bolded text, enhancing the readability of their responses and facilitating efficient scanning.

Chat History: The storage and management of conversations occur automatically, accessible through the side panel on each chatbot's home page. Users can opt to disable the saving of chat history, providing flexibility in data management.

Quick-Action Buttons: Users can express preferences by liking or disliking responses, influencing future interactions. Additionally, the option to effortlessly share conversations is available through a simple click.

Data Sources: Bard exhibits a unique capability by offering a list of relevant sources when prompted, accompanied by automatic image linking to its original web source. In contrast, ChatGPT, unless running on the web-browsing version of GPT-4, can only suggest resources for verification when asked to cite sources, exemplified by guiding users towards reputable field guides and ornithology textbooks when queried about kestrels.

However, the difference between Bard and ChatGPT becomes pronounced in aspects of user experience beyond these shared features.

Modifying questions and responses

When it comes to modifying questions and responses, Bard streamlines the process for users. Unlike ChatGPT, which requires initiating a new prompt with specific instructions to update a response, Bard offers a more convenient approach.

In ChatGPT, users can modify a previous response by entering a new prompt with detailed instructions or by incorporating custom instructions for preferences like response length. This ensures ChatGPT considers specific user preferences without repetitive typing.

On the flip side, Bard simplifies the modification process. Users can swiftly adjust every response's length or tone without crafting a new prompt. By clicking the Modify response icon, resembling a stack of horizontal bars, users can choose from available modifications like shorter, longer, simpler, more casual, or more professional.

Bard's quick-action buttons provide a hassle-free way to fine-tune responses, enhancing user convenience in tailoring the chatbot's output to their preferences.

ChatGPT and Bard can browse the web, but with Google Bard, you can do it for free 

While both ChatGPT and Bard offer web-browsing capabilities, Bard distinguishes itself by providing this feature free of charge. In contrast, ChatGPT may involve additional costs when accessing web-browsing functionalities, offering users a cost-effective advantage with Bard for online exploration.

In the realm of web searches to enhance responses, both ChatGPT and Bard showcase this functionality, but key differences emerge.

Bard stands out by allowing all users free access to the internet, offering an inclusive approach. On the other hand, ChatGPT restricts web-browsing capabilities to users with a paid subscription.

In practical testing, ChatGPT exhibited a notable delay in generating responses and frequently encountered network errors when compared to Bard. The efficiency and reliability of Bard in web searches contribute to its user-friendly experience in accessing information seamlessly.

ChatGPT offers back-and-forth voice dialogue on the mobile app

OpenAI recently introduced a groundbreaking feature for ChatGPT Plus and Enterprise users, allowing them to engage in verbal conversations with ChatGPT. The flexibility extends to changing ChatGPT's voice, with options meticulously crafted by voice actors for a natural and immersive experience.

While this voice capability enhances the interaction with ChatGPT, it's important to note its current availability exclusively on iOS and Android. Additionally, it does not seamlessly integrate with ChatGPT's web browsing feature. As a result, utilizing the voice function means ChatGPT's responses are confined to data predating September 2021.

In contrast, Bard, although capable of speaking responses aloud, falls short in offering back-and-forth voice conversations. The robotic nature of Bard's voice, while functional, leaves room for improvement in delivering a more natural and engaging auditory experience.

Bard is designed for research, however, ChatGPT is a more proficient writer. 

Bard takes on the role of an enthusiastic research assistant, diving headfirst into gathering information to simplify your life. While it doesn't automatically cite sources, it complies when instructed, and a Double-check response feature allows users to fact-check or explore more details. Additionally, Bard provides related search queries, enhancing its utility in research scenarios.

In contrast, GPT stands as an industry standard for natural language tasks, powering various AI tools like Jasper, Copy.ai, and Bing's AI tools. As part of ChatGPT, it excels as a versatile writing tool, serving roles such as a summarizer and translator. This flexibility positions ChatGPT as a superior choice for various text-based tasks, including writing tweets, brainstorming blog ideas, crafting long-form articles, business emails, and content marketing concepts.

When tasked with creating a tweet about Zapier, ChatGPT demonstrated conformity to tweet-writing rules, complete with character count, emojis, and hashtags. Bard, on the other hand, provided elements of a post, encouraging a more personalized touch.

In terms of content generation, ChatGPT outshines Bard in brainstorming blog ideas and drafting long-form articles, business emails, and content marketing strategies. For instance, when both were asked to outline a blog post about the crisis surrounding bees, ChatGPT not only generated a solid outline but also included a working title, headings, and subheadings—a more comprehensive approach.

In summary, while GPT exhibits prowess in understanding and generating diverse text for multiple purposes, including content marketing, Bard appears tailored primarily as a research tool. The distinction lies in their operational differences, with ChatGPT shining as a versatile writing companion.

Sharing chats is made simple by ChatGPT and Bard, but Bard goes one step further by integrating with Google apps.

While both ChatGPT and Bard offer the convenience of sharing conversations and allowing others to pick up where you left off, notable differences arise in their functionalities.

ChatGPT's Limitations:

Images in Conversations: ChatGPT doesn't support the sharing of conversations with images. If you upload an image in a ChatGPT conversation, you'll need to keep it to yourself, as sharing conversations with images is not currently supported.

Bard's Enhanced Sharing Capabilities:

Images in Conversations: Bard takes a more inclusive approach by allowing users to share conversations with images. If an image is uploaded to a chat with Bard and the entire conversation is shared, the image becomes visible and downloadable to anyone with access to that conversation.

Export to Google Docs and Gmail: Bard's integration with Google Workspace, specifically Google Docs and Gmail, sets it apart. Users can export Bard responses directly to Google Docs, eliminating the need for manual copying and pasting. This streamlined process enhances efficiency, enabling users to seamlessly transition from creating an article outline in Bard to drafting in Google Docs. The same convenience extends to Gmail, where Bard responses can be exported as draft messages.

In essence, Bard's advanced sharing capabilities, particularly with images and integration with Google Workspace, provide users with a more efficient and connected experience compared to ChatGPT.

Image Generation Capabilities

Bard and ChatGPT both can analyze images with prompts

Bard introduces a dynamic feature where users can upload images with their prompts and request specific analyses, such as image captions. This capability enhances the interactive and multi-modal nature of interactions with Bard.

While ChatGPT Plus and Enterprise users can also perform image-related tasks with ChatGPT, the crucial distinction lies in the sharing functionality. Unfortunately, users cannot share any ChatGPT conversations that include images with others. Bard's approach allows for a more collaborative and inclusive experience, enabling users to share conversations that involve image analyses with a wider audience.

Integrations

Both Bard and ChatGPT offer direct connections to other apps, but they take different approaches to achieve this.

Bard's Integration with Bard Extensions:

Bard seamlessly integrates with other Google apps through Bard Extensions. This feature allows real-time retrieval of information from Gmail, Google Drive, Hotels, Flights, Maps, and YouTube. Users can perform tasks like finding cheap flights or extracting details from an email confirmation in Gmail—all within the chat interface.

ChatGPT's Powerful Plugin System:

ChatGPT utilizes a robust plugin system with over 30 options. These plugins work harmoniously, enabling users to perform intricate tasks. For instance, one can request a recipe recommendation, calculate accurate calorie counts (using the Wolfram plugin), and then generate a shopping list (via the Instacart plugin).

Beyond the Google Ecosystem with Zapier Integration:

ChatGPT extends its capabilities beyond the Google ecosystem through Zapier integration. With over 30 plugins at your disposal, ChatGPT can seamlessly connect to thousands of other apps. This integration empowers users to incorporate ChatGPT into diverse workflows and automate tasks, regardless of their existing tech stack.

Conclusion

Google Bard and ChatGPT are two of the most advanced large language models (LLMs) available today. Both have their strengths and weaknesses, and the best choice for you will depend on your specific needs.

Both Bard and ChatGPT are still under development, and new features and improvements are being added all the time. This means that if you are seeking up-to-date information, it is best to test both of those AIs and find which suits your needs the best.