The new Bing vs. the future Google

Hi, it’s Dina in Seattle and Davey in New York. Don’t entrust Bing or Google’s chatbot with finding a lost dog. But first…Today’s must-reads [View in browser]( [Bloomberg]( Hi, it’s Dina in Seattle and Davey in New York. Don’t entrust Bing or Google’s chatbot with finding a lost dog. But first… Today’s must-reads: • Google contract workers [won raises]( • Chipmakers receiving US funding [must provide child care]( • Snap [debuted an AI-powered chatbot]( Working like a dog For an illustration of how far chatbots still have to go before they can be relied on to answer even the most basic questions, ask Microsoft Corp. or Google’s artificial intelligence what to do when a dog gets separated from his owner. Microsoft’s Bing offered some sound advice but on an entirely different topic. It thought we were asking about separation anxiety and delivered a thorough answer, including possible signs a dog is suffering from the condition, common causes and some suggestions for easing a pup’s loneliness. Google, meanwhile, suggested that if a dog were separated from its owner, it could remember its telephone number and phone home. Perhaps the chatbot was trained on too many viewings of the movie ET? This month’s introduction of [Bing with a new ChatGPT-like feature]( showed exciting potential but also exposed deep flaws. The companies are aware the machines are imperfect. Microsoft [took steps to limit]( what sorts of conversations the chatbot would engage in and is taking a deliberately slow approach to welcoming people off the waitlist. [Google’s Bard chatbot]( isn’t even available to the public yet. Google did, however, allow a Bloomberg reporter to spend time with a tool called LaMDA Test Kitchen, which helps demonstrate the technology on which Bard’s AI is based. It won’t settle the question of whether Bing or Google’s chatbot is better. Google’s demo only does three things: generate lists, “imagine” scenarios and have conversations about dogs. The list function in Google’s Test Kitchen starts every query with “I want to...” We filled in “learn more about the new Bing search.” It wasn’t having it. It generated a list that included “search for a new recipe,” “search for a new hobby” and “try a new search engine.” Bing, when asked about its chief rival, gave a coherent, accurate and objective answer, though it was partially lifted straight from Google’s corporate blog and appeared to border on plagiarism. Another part of the Google demo lets users enter a phrase that starts with “Imagine I’m at...” (We typed “my computer chatting with the new AI-powered chatbot Bard.”) Among Google’s suggestions were to use Bard to find a therapist and get advice using its “decision making algorithms” — both situations we wouldn’t rely solely on a chatbot for and certainly not in their current state. There’s only one scenario in which the Test Kitchen will engage with the user in a freewheeling conversation similar to Bing. In that scenario, the chatbot pretends it’s a tennis ball extremely fond of talking about dogs. It’s hard to get much of it, other than the hypothetical example of the exceptionally intelligent lost dog. Google and Microsoft have said they have a lot more work to do to make their AIs more reliable. Google at least has the luxury of doing that largely outside of the public eye while Microsoft soaks up the attention and the criticism. We’re not sure which strategy will be better in the end, and the chatbots didn’t seem to know, either. —[Dina Bass](mailto:dbass2@bloomberg.net) and [Davey Alba](mailto:malba13@bloomberg.net) The big story Meta funded a tool to help minors remove nude or sexually explicit images of themselves from the internet as big tech companies come under [increasing pressure from US lawmakers]( to better protect children online. Get fully charged Tesla temporarily stalled the rollout of its $15,000 driver-assistance software as it [addresses issues that led to a recall]( of almost 363,000 of its vehicles. Ford’s battery supplier insisted that the defect that led to a fire in an electric F-150 Lightning is “rare” and [not a fundamental issue with its technology](. A senior US cybersecurity official described Microsoft and Twitter’s [security protocols as “disappointing.”]( Chinese media regulators are exploring methods to curb what they see as young people’s [“excessive” addiction to short videos]( of the kind popularized by TikTok’s parent company and by Tencent. More from Bloomberg Listen: [Foundering: The John McAfee Story]( is a new six-part podcast series retracing the life, the myths and the self-destruction of a Silicon Valley icon. Subscribe for free on [Apple](, [Spotify]( or wherever you get your podcasts. 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