San Francisco, February 1 : Google is testing ChatGPT-like products, which use its LaMDA (Language Model for Dialogue Applications) technology, media reports said. Under new AI-powered chat products, the tech giant is testing a chatbot called "Apprentice Bard," where employees can ask questions and receive detailed answers similar to ChatGPT, also a new search desktop design that could be used in a question-and-answer form, reports CNBC, citing sources. Microsoft To Bring New Look to Teams Rooms on Windows by March 2023.

The testing follows an all-hands meeting where employees expressed concerns about the company's competitive edge in AI, given the sudden popularity of ChatGPT, created by OpenAI, a Microsoft-backed startup.

Moreover, Google's parent company Alphabet is working on a project under its cloud unit called Atlas, which is a "code red" response to ChatGPT, the large-language chatbot that took the public by storm late last year, said the report. Google Fi Suffers Data Breach, Information of Millions of Customer Compromised, Confirms Firm.

Further, it mentioned that Apprentice Bard, which looks similar to ChatGPT, includes a feature in which answers can include recent events, which ChatGPT doesn't have yet.

"As a result of ChatGPT, the LaMDA team has been asked to prioritise working on a response to ChatGPT," read one internal memo viewed by CNBC. "In the short term, it takes precedence over other projects," the email said.

Apprentice Bard took the place of "Meena", a previous version of a smart chatbot that had been launched internally but was later discontinued, said the report.

Meanwhile, Microsoft announced a multi-year, multi-billion dollar investment in OpenAI, the developer behind AI-driven ChatGPT which has become a rage.The tech giant, which infused $1 billion in OpenAI in 2019, did not divulge the investment amount in the "third phase of our long-term partnership with OpenAI". Earlier reports had claimed Microsoft may infuse up to $10 billion in OpenAI.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 01, 2023 06:22 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).