Here at Abstrakt, we knew about Google’s Bard back in 2020, even though it wasn’t formally released until February of 2023.
We’ve been using Bard and the Language Model for Dialogue Applications (LaMDA) before it was cool.
So when ChatGPT came out, and my parents (along with investors and customers) started asking us about its impact on us we were like “We are happy everyone else is finally playing in the same game! Welcome to the party, we were getting lonely.”
All jokes aside, we’re glad this technology is now on the forefront of everyones mind.
How I gauge if tech like Google Bard is going to “stick”
I tend to gauge whether or not something “new and exciting” in the world of technology is going to be meaningful by asking my parents if they have heard of it or not.
Back story:
When I first started my career in software sales at Act-On Software, I spent my days selling Marketing Automation, first as a SDR and then as an Account Executive.
When I would describe the software to my parents they would typically respond with “oh, so your software sends those annoying emails I get everytime I leave a website with stuff still in the shopping cart.”
Yep, Mom and Dad.
You are correct.
If technology has made its way across multiple generations, it’s here for the long run.
No scientific data behind that, just my gut feeling.
Even more proof:
Ask my parents to describe Uber, and they respond back with “It’s an App that allows me to not have to wait in line for a taxi.”
This also just so happens to be the exact reason the founders of Uber started their company.
Ask my parents to describe FaceTime on their iPhone, and they say “It’s what allows me to see my grandchildren from 1300 miles away.”
When I asked my parents how they would describe ChatGPT they said (beaming with confidence), “It allows me to find quick answers to complex questions.”
I love these answers, because they inadvertently reference one of my favorite books, Jobs to be Done, by Stephen Wunker.
Now, my parents don’t know (or care) about the difference between ChatGPT or Google Bard, but the fact still remains they can summarize these amazing pieces of technology with a simple explanation that focuses on how it helps them. Shockingly… not the features of the product.
They describe these solutions based upon the jobs they accomplish for them.
Why is Google so powerful?
Have you ever stopped to ask yourself why Google as a search engine is so powerful and is the predominant engine used by nearly 94% of the world?
It’s the same reason why Google rewards vendors competing for the eyeballs and clicks of viewers.
Relevance.
If I were searching for “Real-Time Agent Assist Software” and Google returned results with information about Bananas we wouldn’t use it.
Why does this matter? It matters because Google has become a Fortune 100 company by understanding the intent behind why people are doing what they do.
Google has made billions of dollars by being more accurate than Bing, Yahoo, Yandex, DuckDuckGo and everyone else.
Accuracy and relevance wins.
With Google Bard powering Abstrakt, we know a couple things.
1. The first being, we are leveraging the greatest Machine Learning models ever built by the company who understands intent and language better than anyone, ever.
2. The second, the fact my parents understand it (and its impact on the world) means we are onto something here at Abstrakt.
For the record, the next time you need a simpler way to describe the solution you are building/selling, instead of using ChatGPT or Google Bard, ask your parents.
Their answer may surprise you.
Why Google Bard really matters
At the end of the day, AI is here to stay and my stories confirm that.
What I don’t think people are prepared for is the vast expansion of AI that is about to come next. While I don’t think people will necessarily be replaced, AI will most definitely take over routine and mundane tasks.
People can either embrace and learn how tools like Google Bard can make their life easier, or they can fight it and possible lose their job due to other leveling up with this technology.
It’s your choice to make.