The internet publication The Verge

Google should be safer than Microsoft or OpenAI: a case study on the impact of artificial intelligence on user perceptions, opinions, and advertising spend

In our tests, Bard was less useful and accurate than other systems, such as Microsoft’s and Openai’s.

Bloomberg’s report illustrates how Google has apparently sidelined ethical concerns in an effort to keep up with rivals like Microsoft and OpenAI. The company frequently touts its safety and ethics work in AI but has long been criticized for prioritizing business instead.

Others at Google — and in the AI world more generally — would disagree. A common argument is that public testing is necessary to develop and safeguard these systems and that the known harm caused by chatbots is minimal. Toxic text and misleading information are produced by them, as do many other sources on the web. Giving a user all the authority of a system is different than directing them to a bad source of information. Google’s rivals like Microsoft and OpenAI are also arguably just as compromised as Google. The only difference is they’re not leaders in the search business and have less to lose.

This new approach could have new dangers, though. Generative AI systems like text generators are notorious for introducing errors and replicating biases found in their training data. One person familiar with the presentation said they were worried about the effects of the artificial intelligence on ad campaigns. The individual said it was made to convert new customers so it had no idea what the truth was. In response to the FT, GOOGLE told them that they will be introducing guardrails to try and protect against this.

The FT says the tools will likely be integrated into Google’s Performance Max program, which gives an overview of customers’ campaigns. Notably, Performance Max already uses machine learning to customize ad spend, but currently only makes strategic recommendations (like setting budgets when bidding for ad space). There are new updates that deal with the creative content used in advertisements.