Here are the basics.
? What is all the buzz about? Within the last five months, we have seen the release of two artificially intelligent chatbots trained to use natural language processing. This means a computer program can understand and respond to the words you type or say to them, just like you’re talking to a friend (if your friend could instantly tap into the entirety of collected human knowledge ?).
2️⃣ Who are the players? ChatGPT was launched in November 2022 by OpenAI. GPT stands for Generative Pre-Trained Transformer, which is an extensive language model. Bard is a program developed by Google and was released in a limited capacity in March 2023. It is now open to the public. Side note, if you use Microsoft Bing’s search engine today, you may not know it, but you are getting results that have been refined by AI.
?️ What is the main difference? The data source. Currently, ChatGPT has been trained with data only up until September 2021. In contrast, Bard can access Google’s search engine data and give more up-to-date responses. These digital personal assistants aim to provide a more succinct answer to your questions than a search engine results page. Of course, neither of these programs is perfect, and sometimes they might not understand what you’re asking or give you the wrong answer.
? How do I access these programs? These tools are still in the research phase, so they are free to use, and you are welcome to unlimited questions.
To use ChatGPT, you would create an account with OpenAI. Visit chat.openai.com and create an OpenAI account. Another (potentially more straightforward) way to access is by using the Microsoft Edge web browser (the new Internet Explorer) visit bing.com and click “Chat”.
To access Bard, visit bard.google.com and select “Sign in.” Use your personal Google Account to gain access. Depending on when you are reading this, you may have to join a waitlist to access Bard.
? What are some uses? The most obvious answer is content. You could ask for blog ideas, have it write those blogs, and then ask to summarize for social media. Other practical uses would be to draft emails! These are powerful research tools and can offer simple explanations of complex topics. Here is an example of what Bard looks like:
Is there something that has been on your to-do list forever? Ask away… ✅
Remember: Do not trust everything AI spits out! You will want to edit text generated from AI and confirm any facts or statistics with your research. You must sign off on this when creating a Bard account, and it’s a great reminder. Although ChatGPT passed the Bar Exam nearing the 90th percentile, you should NOT expect responses to be remotely equivalent to speaking to an actual attorney.
These tools are still in their infancy and will quickly get much better. In the meantime, get creative and happy chatting!