Google Rolls Out "Bard" to the US and UK: Its First Response to ChatGPT

Google publicly launched its conversational AI “Bard” for users in the US and UK via a waitlist system. Coming about a month and a half after CEO Sundar Pichai first previewed a trial version on February 6, 2023, this public release marked Google’s first conversational AI product available to the general public, amid the worldwide boom surrounding OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

Details

• Model: Built on a lightweight version of the large language model “LaMDA,” prioritizing response speed and scale over the full-sized model
• Access: A gradual rollout, with users signing up for a waitlist at bard.google.com and receiving access progressively
• Regional availability: Initially limited to English-speaking users in the US and UK, with plans to expand to other countries and languages
• Features: Beyond answering questions, it displayed multiple response “drafts” for users to choose from, along with thumbs-up/thumbs-down feedback buttons
• Positioning: Offered as a standalone product separate from Google Search, positioned as an “experimental” generative AI service

What happened next

Bard faced harsh scrutiny right after launch, including a factual error in its own promotional video that made headlines, but Google continued expanding its capabilities. In December 2023, the company announced its large-scale model “Gemini,” and by February 2024, the product itself was rebranded from Bard to “Gemini” — the direct predecessor of today’s Gemini app.