Google Bard vs Google Search: Key differences in these supercharged AI-powered platforms

Google I/O 2023 kicked off on May 10 with CEO Sundar Pichai making several announcements in the field of Artificial Intelligence. Since ChatGPT has emerged, AI has been a hot topic with more and more companies incorporating AI technologies. From fast-food joints like Wendy’s to giant technology companies like Microsoft, it seems like everyone is jumping on the AI bandwagon. Microsoft recently introduced OpenAI-powered Bing Search which brought AI capabilities to Bing. To maintain ground with Microsoft, Google at Google I/O 2023, introduced Search that incorporates AI in its responses to help users in their queries, in addition to revolutionary changes to Google Bard

Now that Google has two supercharged AI-powered platforms in its portfolio with Google Bard and Google Search, wondering what is the difference between the two? Know details.

Bard vs Search

According to Google, despite the proliferation of AI-powered chatbots, Google Search still remains the go-to platform to get answers for seeking and obtaining information. Whether it's looking for a specific product to purchase or conducting research on a topic of interest, Google Search should be used.

On the other hand, Google Bard is based on the company’s next-generation language and conversation capabilities powered by their Language Model for Dialogue Applications (LaMDA). Google Bard can generate a variety of responses, even from the same or similar prompts and questions. If a user would like to see a different response or set of responses, they can ask Bard to generate a new response. Therefore, Google Bard should be used for creative collaborations, such as to generate a code for a program or give captions for photos.

Updates to Search

Google announced that it is bringing generative AI capabilities to Search which could change the way the search engine is used. The new Search will allow users to understand topics faster and uncover more insights. Users will be able to ask long questions with several choices instead of having to break it up into smaller parts. The new Search will also bring the ability to get suggested steps and even ask follow up questions.

Generative AI in Search will make shopping and making purchases easier with Google’s Shopping Graph integration. Which has more than 35 billion product listings.

How to Access Search

This new Google Search will initially be available for experiment in Search Labs, called Search Generative Experience (SGE) and it will be available for access on Chrome Desktop and through Android and iOS apps in the US. Google will incorporate the feedback received from users to bring improvements to Search. Users can sign up to Search Labs starting today, May 11 and Google will enable SGE access in a few weeks.