ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND BUSINESS
What we can learn from Google BARD’s $100 Billion blunder
And how you can avoid making the same mistake
Just last week, I wrote about how Google was entering the AI chatbot arena, competing with the likes of ChatGPT and Jasper AI. Within 48 hours, they had blown $100 billion from their market value, with shares dropping 7%.
How did this happen? The much-hyped Google BARD was the center of the controversy after an ill-advised response to a search query about the James Webb Space Telescope in a promotional ad on Twitter. BARD answered the query incorrectly, stating that the telescope was the first to take pictures of a planet outside the earth’s solar system — an accomplishment which had actually been achieved by the European Very Large Telescope back in 2004!
Twitter jumped on this astronomical embarrassment, causing a negative impact on Google’s shares. Talk about biting off more than you can chew!
This situation highlights the importance of being aware of the limitations of large-scale language models in professional use. The incident can be compared to the old adage about the dog and the gramophone. Just like the famous dog thought the sounds coming from the gramophone were real, businesses can be so impressed by the tech that they fall into the trap of thinking that AI-generated content is real without proper fact-checking and verification. While AI-generated content may appear natural and credible, humans must fact-check and verify any information before it’s published.
AI models like ChatGPT, Jasper AI, and BARD are like parrots. They have an incredibly convincing knowledge of how language works (thanks to GPT 3.5), including impressive human-like patterns. However, it’s essential to remember that they don’t have real comprehension yet, and we shouldn’t confuse them with true “artificial general intelligence” (AGI). It just sounds accurate because their language generation capabilities are so compelling.
In conclusion, Google’s $100 billion loss on BARD serves as a cautionary tale for businesses looking to integrate AI into their operations. To avoid falling into the same trap as Google, businesses should be proactive and educate themselves on the potential and the limitations of AI technology.
At The Jasper Whisperer, I provide training and consulting services to help companies understand and properly utilize AI in their operations. Don’t miss out on the huge benefits of AI for your business. Take control of the technology and make informed decisions. Contact me today to learn more.
I’m also available for journalism opportunities, podcasts, and interviews.
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