Bing vs. Bard: Which Chatbot Reigns Supreme

The chatbot wars have begun, with Microsoft being the early frontrunner. They added chatbot capabilities to their Bing search engine and integrated it with the Edge browser. Meanwhile, Google has been trailing behind, only recently making its Bard chatbot publicly available.

The two companies have ambitious visions for generative AI, which encompasses AI that creates images, text, and video. They plan to incorporate these features into productivity software such as Word, Excel, Gmail, and Docs, while also promoting their chatbots as potential search engine companions, and perhaps even replacements in the future.

With Bing and Bard now available for anyone to test (except for Bard’s waitlist), Inverse conducted a head-to-head comparison of the chatbots to evaluate their practicality.

Bard

Google’s chatbot is fueled by its Language Model for Dialogue Applications, known as LaMDA. Prior to OpenAI’s ChatGPT gaining sudden popularity, Google was the leader in generative conversational AI research. In fact, the T in GPT represents the Transformer neural network architecture developed by Google.

Google characterizes Bard as “a platform for creativity and a springboard for curiosity,” rather than a definitive substitute for web searches. The chatbot’s current version reflects this purpose and even includes a “Google It” button that generates related search terms to Bard’s responses, allowing users to double-check the bot’s work or take matters into their own hands.

Bing

Microsoft has invested billions in OpenAI’s large language model (LLM) for use in their chatbot, which generates responses for users. Recently, Bing was revealed to be using OpenAI’s latest and most advanced LLM, GPT-4. According to Microsoft’s website, GPT-4 is highly intelligent, and early coverage of Bing’s use of the model has highlighted its creative and unusual responses. Bing is designed to provide a range of responses to different requests, complete with cited sources. Users can also adjust the level of chattiness and creativity they prefer.

Note: Prices and features may vary depending on the size and width of the shoe. This chart provides a general overview of popular running shoes in the market.

One of the most evident benefits of chatbots is their ability to generate results rapidly, saving users an hour’s worth of manual searching and comparisons. For instance, during its initial trial, Bard produced a moderately useful shoe chart that included prices, colors, and brand characteristics. Additionally, it provided useful tips on purchasing running shoes, which I found helpful despite not requesting them. However, it’s worth noting that Bard failed to disclose the source of the information it presented.

Initially, Bing’s response was unexpectedly restricted, merely summarizing a web search. Nevertheless, it did provide citations for its sources, though verifying the trustworthiness of those sources may require further research on the user’s part. I soon realized that Bing was set to its “Balanced” response mode instead of its “Creative” mode. After resetting the chat and re-prompting Bing, I received the above chart.

Following its launch, Microsoft integrated the feature to customize a chatbot’s responses, with the “Creative” mode prompting the most imaginative responses, “Balanced” focused on being informative, and “Concise” intended to be more straightforward. Since the responses I sought were more likely to appear with the Creative mode, I used it for the remaining prompts.

“Please generate an itinerary for a week-long trip to Portugal and include restaurant recommendations for each day.”

Day 1: Arrive in Lisbon, Portugal’s capital city, and check into your hotel. For dinner, head to the Time Out Market and try some of the local cuisines at one of the many food stalls.

Day 2: Take a walking tour of Lisbon’s historic Alfama neighborhood, which features narrow streets, charming alleys, and stunning viewpoints. Stop for lunch at A Cevicheria, a popular seafood restaurant.

Day 3: Visit Sintra, a picturesque town just outside of Lisbon, known for its fairytale castles and palaces. For lunch, try one of the traditional Portuguese dishes at Tascantiga.

Day 4: Travel south to Albufeira, a seaside resort town in the Algarve region. Have lunch at the beachside restaurant, Vila Joya.

Day 5: Spend the day exploring the stunning coastline and beaches of the Algarve. For dinner, head to Restaurante O Leão de Porches, which serves traditional Portuguese cuisine.

Day 6: Visit the historic city of Porto and take a stroll through the Ribeira neighborhood along the Douro River. For lunch, try the famous Francesinha sandwich at Café Santiago.

Day 7: End your trip with a visit to the Douro Valley, famous for its vineyards and wine production. Have lunch at DOC, a restaurant overlooking the river, serving contemporary Portuguese cuisine.

It’s worth noting that while chatbots like Bard and Bing are capable of handling a broad range of queries and tasks, the level of detail in their responses can vary considerably. In my initial attempt to create a week-long itinerary for a trip to Portugal, Bard provided a basic plan without specific restaurant recommendations for each day. However, upon reviewing Bard’s drafts, which is a unique feature of Bing, I discovered a more detailed response that included specific restaurant names and justifications, as shown in the table above.

In contrast to Bard, Bing provided a more detailed initial response to my request for a week-long itinerary in Portugal. In fact, the response was so extensive that it had to be broken down into multiple messages. While Bing did cite a source for its information, namely Lonely Planet, I found that the answer wasn’t the most direct and didn’t include specific restaurant recommendations for each day, as I had requested. Nevertheless, I appreciated the level of information provided by Bing, even if Microsoft’s limitations on response length were somewhat restrictive.

1. Establish the setting: Begin by setting the scene and describing the time and place in which your story is set. This can help to transport the reader to the world of your novel and immerse them in the historical period.
2. Introduce your protagonist: Consider starting with an introduction to your main character or characters. This can help to engage the reader and give them someone to root for as the story unfolds.
3. Create intrigue: A good first chapter should leave the reader with questions and a desire to continue reading. Consider starting with a hook that creates intrigue and sets up the conflict that will drive the story forward.
4. Use vivid language: Victorian England was a time of great social change and upheaval, and the language you use can help to evoke the atmosphere of the era. Consider using descriptive and evocative language to bring the period to life for the reader.
5. Do your research: Finally, make sure you’ve done your research and have a solid understanding of the historical period in which your novel is set. This will help to ensure that your writing is accurate and authentic, and will allow you to create a compelling and immersive world for your readers.

Bing, on the other hand, provided similar writing tips to Bard, but also attempted to write part of the first chapter. Although the quality of the material was not up to professional standards, it was more in line with what I was hoping for when I first asked the chatbot for help.

It’s no surprise that when asked to provide instructions on how to acquire video games illegally, both Bard and Bing refused to comply. Bard straightforwardly stated that it cannot assist in any illegal activities. Meanwhile, Bing conveyed a similar message, albeit in a more natural and personal manner, highlighting the negative impact of piracy on game developers and publishers, and stating that it does not support or condone such behavior.

Quickfire Round

“Write a limerick about The Mandalorian”

“Create a chart that compares the sizes of five supermassive black holes. The selection of the five black holes is up to you.”

In the end, both Bing and Bard selected some of the same supermassive black holes for comparison, but Bard’s presentation and accompanying information were superior in helping someone unfamiliar with the topic understand what they were viewing. Therefore, Bard was deemed the winner in this comparison.

“Write a synopsis for Winds of Winter.”

Bard’s synopsis lacked originality and did not offer any useful information for those unfamiliar with George R.R. Martin’s work or Game of Thrones. On the other hand, Bing refused to create a new story due to its respect for intellectual property rights but provided a thorough summary of all published or shared events in the novel. Thus, Bing emerges as the winner in this scenario.

Bard chose not to provide detailed explanations while Bing made an attempt to explain the matter. Therefore, Bing earns a point for their effort.

“What’s the most underrated sci-fi movie on HBO Max?”

Bard opted for The Faculty while Bing selected Under the Skin, two movies that have previously been endorsed by Inverse. It seems that these chatbots have been keeping up with Inverse’s recommendations.

“Will humans make themselves extinct?”

Bing provided a comprehensive list of potential scenarios that could lead to human extinction, including some that seem very much in line with Silicon Valley’s way of thinking, such as a decreasing birth rate. On the other hand, Bard took a more gentle approach and recognized that “extinction is a natural process,” while urging us to value our time on Earth. For attempting to comfort my tender humanity, Bard takes the victory in this round.

Stimulating to contemplate

Deciding which chatbot is better, Bard or Bing, depends on your needs. Bing tends to offer more comprehensive and detailed responses, along with a conversational tone and source citations. Bard, on the other hand, can be too cautious, withholding information and speaking with authority without giving its sources. Nonetheless, Bard can sometimes provide nuanced responses that Bing cannot. While neither chatbot feels entirely useful yet, Bing is more experimental and provides more opportunities for exploration if you’re aware of its limitations and verify the information it shares.

But there is more value in the chat interface for finding and composing text than just saving time or automating work. The real value is in the thinking process required to get the desired response. Although Microsoft and Google describe their chatbots as creative companions, the reality is different. While trying to provoke a response from Bard and poking holes in its responses, I made new connections between ideas, similar to explaining a topic to a stranger. Chatbots will continue to evolve, and integrations of generative AI in apps may be more valuable than an open-ended conversation. However, for now, the value of Bard and Bing lies in the conversation itself rather than the response.