Google didn't believe Bard AI was 'really ready' for a product yet

Google Bard logo on cellphone, in front of Google Alphabet Inc stock drop on computer screen
(Image credit: NurPhoto / Contributor/Getty Images)

Google's preview of its experimental AI chatbot Bard hit a snag after a factual error in a promo ad led to a drop in its parent company's market share. In a recent interview with CNBC, parent company Alphabet's Chair John Hennessy admitted that the technology is not product-ready yet.

Last week, Google launched Bard in response to the viral popularity of rival chatbot ChatGPT from start-up company OpenAI. The Paris reveal event happened a day before Microsoft announced it was integrating ChatGPT into Bing's search engine. At the reveal, Bard showed an incorrect response to a question about NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, leading to a 9 percent drop in Alphabet's stock. Google employees also chimed in, criticizing CEO Sundar Pichai while referring to the presentation as "rushed" and "botched."

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Theara Coleman, The Week US

Theara Coleman has worked as a staff writer at The Week since September 2022. She frequently writes about technology, education, literature and general news. She was previously a contributing writer and assistant editor at Honeysuckle Magazine, where she covered racial politics and cannabis industry news.