Google counters Microsoft’s AI advance: New AI applications presented

mountain view Counters with the AI ​​Initiative Google a push from Microsoft. The world’s largest software group, which was left behind by Google in important business areas such as online advertising and Internet search, is trying to replace the traditional Google search with queries to an AI system with the help of the Californian start-up OpenAI. For this purpose, the AI ​​technology GPT was integrated into the Microsoft-Search Bing as well as integrated into the web browser Bing. Integration into Microsoft’s Office products is also expected.

Google anticipates Microsoft’s announcement

With its current product initiative, Google is anticipating another announcement from Microsoft, which is expected this Thursday. Andreas Braun, Microsoft’s head of technology in Germany, explained at an information event last week that his company would then present the new GPT-4 version. “We have multimodal models that will offer completely different possibilities – for example videos,” said Braun. Support for different languages ​​should also be improved.

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The preferred Google account is aimed at companies, but also at private users. In a presentation, the head of Google Cloud, Thomas Kurian, used the example of the fictitious furniture company Cymbal to show how commercial users can benefit from Google AI. AI applications could be combined with the company’s data, for example with the furniture store’s product catalog and the new offers of the spring collection. This not only automates the updating of the website. The AI ​​could also take over applications such as an advisory chat for customers, which, for example, is about a sensible combination of different furniture.

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data protection in view: customer data remains hidden from the eyes of Google

Thomas Kurian emphasized that data protection is strictly guaranteed when sensitive company data is integrated. Customers could use encryption methods with their own key so that Google itself had no access to the data. The customer data would also not be mixed with the data pool for the public Google search.

The Google initiative also includes so-called generative AI, i.e. the generation of content with the help of artificial intelligence. The most prominent example of generative AI is OpenAI’s text robot ChatGPT. Google’s text robot is called “Bart”, but unlike ChatGPT it is not yet available to the general public.

In the future, Google will make corresponding functions available to its customers who use the “Google Workplace” office suite. For example, longer e-mail exchanges can be summarized at the push of a button or the results can be transferred to a presentation. The scope and tonality can be changed.

Google has not yet announced prices for the AI ​​interfaces and development kits on Tuesday. These are to be published at a later date.

More: Microsoft attacks Google’s core business

First published: Mar 14, 2023 at 2:36 p.m