February 08, 2023

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Google to unveil new AI to compete with ChatGPT

Google will expand its footprint in the world of artificial intelligence with the new conversational AI technology Bard.

A lightweight version of the new chatbot will be tested by a select group of users before becoming widely available. The announcement comes more than two months after the launch of the popular AI program ChatGPT, by OpenAI.

"Bard seeks to combine the breadth of the world's knowledge with the power, intelligence and creativity of our large language models," Google said. "It draws on information from the web to provide fresh, high-quality responses."

The service will be powered by Google's Language Model for Dialogue Applications, a language model launched in 2021.

In its short lifespan, ChatGPT has caused a stir across several industries, raising ethical questions and striking some level of fear over job security.

Educators in particular are on alert for students using the chatbot to complete classwork, with universities considering how to ensure the integrity of their institutions.

Recently ChatGPT was among two AI programs to pass the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination, according to a study published by medRxiv.

Google described Bard as a tool that takes the capabilities of its popular search engine, helping users find answers and explanations in a question and response format. It will digest complex information to make it easier for anyone to understand.

The company said Bard will be able to explain discoveries made by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope to a 9-year-old, for example.

When Bard is rolled out, it will be implemented into Google's search bar. The blog post from Google depicted Bard responding to a question on the top of the search results.

ChatGPT became one of the most popular services on the Internet quickly after launching Nov. 30. The Wall Street Journal reports OpenAI's value soared above $20 billion, thanks to its sudden success.

Google's measured approach is predicated on its already high reputation. It reiterated that it will move forward with AI "responsibly" to assure responses from Bard are accurate and reliable.

U.S. farm belt expanding its role in renewable natural gas

Upper Midwest dairy farms could be an emerging source of the feedstock needed to make a type of gas that industry officials consider renewable with support from three new acquisitions, partners announced Monday.

Investment firm H.I.G. Capital said Northern Biogas, a company inside its broader portfolio, acquired three new renewable natural gas facilities that would use the decomposition of animal waste from dairy farms as a feedstock.

"Following H.I.G.'s original investment in September 2022, the acquisition of these three facilities marks an acceleration of the Company's rapidly expanding RNG project development pipeline," the firm explained. "These acquired dairy RNG facilities are in close proximity to Northern Biogas' existing footprint, creating attractive operational and commercial synergies, and are expected to begin commercial service by the first quarter of 2024."

The decomposition of animal manure gives off methane, which companies can purify and use as a substitute for conventional natural gas. File photo by Bill Greenblat/UPI

H.I.G. was short on specifics, though Northern Biogas has a deep portfolio spread out over much of the Midwest, the largest of which draws on the waste from 12,000 head of cattle in southern Idaho.

Decomposition of organic matter results in the release of natural gas in the form of methane, which can be purified to remove harmful compounds and increase its potency. That product can then be put through conventional pipelines for delivery to end users. Its use is expanding across the region.

Natural gas and electric power distribution company UGI Corp. in January committed to a $150 million spend alongside MBL Bioenergy, a consortium established for the sole purpose of developing so-called renewable natural gas projects in South Dakota using dairy farm waste.

Amazon, Federal Express and United Parcel Service are among the growing list of companies turning to renewable natural gas to power their fleets. Engineers at Cornell University in upstate New York, meanwhile, are working to develop a system to extract energy from cow manure to meet increased heating demands.