Google’s AI chatbot, Bard, is capturing attention with its remarkable capabilities, hinting at a future where technology and creativity converge.
In a recent 60 Minutes interview, Google CEO Sundar Pichai and AI experts discussed Bard’s achievements, such as creating stories and poems in seconds.
This article delves into the key takeaways from the interview, including Pichai’s take on how AI advancements will impact various aspects of our lives.
The Problem With Chatbots: Hallucination & Misinformation
Bard’s strength lies in analyzing and predicting language patterns, having been trained on a massive amount of internet content.
Unlike Google search, Bard doesn’t look up answers online but generates responses based on its language model.
Despite Bard’s capabilities, AI technology presents challenges.
A significant issue is “hallucination,” or Bard’s ability to confidently make up information. For instance, Bard wrote an essay about inflation and recommended five books that didn’t exist.
That issue isn’t exclusive to Bard, Pichai notes:
“No one in the, in the field has yet solved the hallucination problems. All models do have this as an issue.”
When asked if hallucinations are a solvable problem, Pichai says, “I think we’ll make progress.”
Misinformation is another concern, as AI can create believable fake news, images, and videos that could harm society on a large scale.
To tackle these issues, Bard has a “Google it” button for fact-checking and uses safety filters to block hate speech and bias.
Automation, Job Changes, & Evolving Workforce
Pichai believes AI will impact all industries, and every product in every company will feel its influence.
He shares the following example:
“That’s right. AI will impact everything. So, for example, you could be a radiologist. If you think about five to 10 years from now, you’re gonna have a AI collaborator with you. Let’s say you have 100 things to go through. It may say, ‘These are the most serious cases you need to look at first.’ Or when you’re looking at something, it may pop up and say, ‘You may have missed something important.’ “
The AI revolution will undoubtedly lead to automation and changes in jobs.
Some jobs may decline, while new job categories will arise, and many existing jobs will change as they incorporate AI technology.
Pichai mentioned that “knowledge workers” like writers, accountants, and software engineers could be affected.
Pichai imagines a future where AI helpers improve how people work and learn, acting as “super-powered assistants.”
Exploring Emergent Properties & AI’s Potential
Another challenge to overcome with AI is “emergent properties,” which refer to systems displaying unexpected abilities.
How this occurs remains a mystery, but it does happen.
For example, a Google AI program could understand the Bengali language even though it wasn’t trained in it.
Pichai shares the following story:
“Of the AI issues we talked about, the most mysterious is called emergent properties. Some AI systems are teaching themselves skills that they weren’t expected to have. How this happens is not well understood. For example, one Google AI program adapted, on its own, after it was prompted in the language of Bangladesh, which it was not trained to know.”
Google is approaching AI humbly and plans to introduce AI technology gradually, letting society adjust and offer feedback.
The company aims to balance AI’s potential advantages and risks.
In Summary
Chatbots like Bard can create content and offer human-like interactions, presenting opportunities and challenges.
As we enter the age of AI-driven automation, digital marketing professionals are advised to keep up with AI trends and use AI technology to enhance their strategies.
AI can offer valuable insights, automate repetitive tasks, and help personalize marketing campaigns for a better user experience.
However, it’s essential to consider AI’s ethical aspects and potential risks, such as misinformation and hallucination.
As the AI revolution progresses, the demand for responsible, informed, and adaptable marketers and SEO professionals will be more critical than ever.
Source: CBS
Featured image generated by Midjourney
