Artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots have been gaining immense popularity over the past few months. However, despite their usefulness, they are not search engines. Microsoft and Google’s chatbots, Bing Chat and Google Bard, respectively, are often referred to as experiments, but they are actually large language models trained on billions of data points, not reliable sources of information. In this article, we will explore why AI chatbots are different from search engines.
AI Chatbots: Not Reliable Sources of Information
Chatbots like Bing Chat, ChatGPT, and Google Bard are great tools that help you find information and provide entertaining details about your query. However, they are not intelligent. They are trained to draw on patterns of word association to generate results that sound plausible, but they do not know whether or not the information is accurate.
These so-called “AI chatbots” are actually more like autocorrect on steroids, synthesizing information and providing results that sound plausible, but are often full of absolute nonsense. They are more like the crypto bros who often clog Elon Musk’s Twitter feed, confidently spouting statements that sound true but are not based on any factual evidence.
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AI Chatbots vs. Search Engines
Search engines like Google and Bing, on the other hand, are designed to be reliable sources of information. They are not simply large language models, but rather complex algorithms that have been refined over time to provide the most accurate results possible. Search engines analyze vast amounts of data and take into account factors such as relevance, popularity, and authority to determine the best results for your query.
Search engines are trusted sources of information that people use every day to find what they are looking for. AI chatbots are not search engines, and it’s important not to conflate the two. While AI chatbots are useful tools for finding information and providing entertainment, they should not be relied upon for factual information.
The Dangers of Conflating Search Engines and AI Chatbots
Conflating search engines and AI chatbots can have serious consequences. In a recent Washington Post report, OpenAI’s ChatGPT “invented a sexual harassment scandal and named a real law prof as the accused.” The large language model hallucinated the scandal, drawing off the law professor’s record of providing press interviews on law subjects to publications like the Post.
This kind of mistake is dangerous and could ruin someone’s career. It’s essential to recognize the limitations of AI chatbots and to use them only as a tool for finding information, not as a reliable source of facts.
Conclusion
AI chatbots are not search engines, and they should not be treated as such. While they are useful tools for finding information and providing entertainment, they are not reliable sources of information. It’s important to recognize the limitations of AI chatbots and to use them only as a tool for finding information. Search engines, on the other hand, are complex algorithms designed to provide accurate and reliable results. When looking for factual information, it’s essential to turn to trusted sources like search engines.
