Last week, Google debuted its latest challenge to OpenAI: the new Bard. The waitlist is gone and Bard has some great new features. But can it beat GPT-4?
Today, I put both bots to the test.
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Bard now integrates with search and maps and can access the internet. So I tested it against its closest GPT-4 equivalent: Bing Chat.
Bing Chat uses GPT-4 and has internet access. It’s integrated into a search engine, just like Bard.
And unlike ChatGPT Plus, it’s free! (You have to use Microsoft Edge, but it’s a pretty good browser.)
I posed identical questions to each bot. These are real questions I actually need the answer to.
Let’s see how they do!
One of the main things I use GPT-4 for is help finding blog ideas. Again this morning, it performed well:
The stories are interesting and relevant. The links don’t work, but hey, it’s new technology right?
Now, let’s try Bard:
Bard refused my request entirely, outputting nothing.
GPT-4 has saved me hours in research time. But for this application, Bard seems useless.
I’m attending a demo day for Australian startups tomorrow. Maybe my new friends can help me prepare?
GPT-4’s answer was outstanding!
It told me things about Australia I never knew. I had no idea the culture was conservative.
It also gave me some ideas for questions.
Perhaps I should ask the startups about their international expansion plans. I rarely ask an American startup that since our domestic market is already vast.
Next, Bard’s turn:
Bard’s answer was good, but less complete than GPT-4’s.
It homed in on the risk of Australia’s small market. But it didn’t take the next logical step like GPT-4 and tell me to find out what a startup’s international expansion plan is.
Time for our third and final question.
I’m doing some research on the US meatpacking industry (long story). So I wondered, how many meatpackers are there in America?
Let’s ask GPT-4:
Excellent answer! It found an exact number and provided a source.
But it also called out something beyond the numbers. This is an unusual industry, with huge concentration.
GPT-4 made sure I’m aware of that. Nice work, GPT!
Let’s give Bard a shot:
Bard’s answer doesn’t seem accurate.
It gave a number only half the size of GPT-4’s. Maybe it’s valid, but without a citation, I’ll never know!
It did correctly call out the weird feature of meatpacking — massive concentration.
So far, Bard looks like a bust.
However, I’m sure Google will keep working on it. In time, it may catch up with GPT-4.
But for now, Microsoft and OpenAI have a heck of a headstart.
Have you tried Bard? If so, what did you think?
Leave a comment and let us know!
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