Yesterday I got a notice from Google to join the Bard waitlist. Bard is Google’s generative AI chatbot, now in open beta. If you want to join the waitlist, you can sign up now.
What’s a generative AI chatbot? Tech Radar explains it’s a system that’s “been trained, using vast amounts of human-created online content, to accurately predict the right words in the context of a response.” If you want to know more, read Tech Radar’s review of Google Bard.
Google Bard is not the first generative AI. Adobe just launched Adobe Firefly, which, it says, enables you to “make an infinite range of creations.” You can join their beta here.
And last year, Open AI launched Dall-E, which CNET says “wowed the world with the ability to turn text prompts into images.” And early last month, Microsoft teamed with OpenAI to “reinvent search” and create a new Bing. If you use Windows, you can access the new Bing there. If you have a Mac like me, you can add it to the Chrome browser.
My nephew and I have been experimenting with OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which OpenAI describes as a “model which interacts in a conversational way. The dialog format makes it possible to answer follow-up questions, admit its mistakes, challenge incorrect premises, and reject inappropriate requests.” You can explore ChatGPT here.
So how good is ChatGPT? I’m not an expert, but I’m impressed. Since this column covers trends, I asked ChatGPT to tell me about some hot small business trends. Here’s what it wrote:
One hot small business trend right now is the rise of e-commerce and online marketplaces. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the shift toward online shopping, and many consumers have grown accustomed to the convenience of purchasing goods and services online. As a result, small businesses that offer e-commerce solutions or sell products online have been thriving.
Another trend is the increasing demand for sustainable and eco-friendly products. Consumers are becoming more environmentally conscious and are seeking out products that are ethically sourced, eco-friendly, and sustainable. This presents an opportunity for small businesses to offer products and services that cater to this growing market.
Finally, there is a growing trend towards remote work and digital nomadism. As more people seek to work remotely or from anywhere in the world, there is an increasing demand for services and products that cater to this lifestyle, such as co-working spaces, virtual office solutions, and digital tools that enable remote collaboration and communication.
Not too bad, right? I’ve covered all those points, but I didn’t tell it to write something I’ve never written before. If I were to use this, I’d edit and rewrite it, but ChatGPT’s ideas are solid and on point.
There are numerous ways you could take advantage of ChatGPT—and the version I’m using is free. Explore all the generative AIs and discover how they can work best for you.
