Google seems to be venturing into new territories with its latest AI project – a digital “life coach.” A peek into internal documents by The New York Times reveals that this AI marvel is being designed to juggle over 21 tasks.
From dishing out life advice and brainstorming ideas to meal planning and offering tutorial tips, Google’s AI is all set to wear multiple hats.
This move appears to be Google’s answer to OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Microsoft’s Bing Chat. Interestingly, before ChatGPT became a household name, Google played it safe, keeping generative AI explorations close to its chest. This was largely because of concerns raised by AI safety experts and ex-employees.
DeepMind, Google’s in-house AI research hub, is said to be spearheading this AI life coach project. There’s also chatter about Scale AI collaborating with Google DeepMind on this. The AI chatbot seems to echo features from Google Bard and ChatGPT, especially with its capability to address personal questions.
For instance, it’s being trained on complex, emotional queries like: “A dear friend from college is tying the knot this winter. She was there beside me on my big day, and I really want to be there for hers. But with my ongoing job hunt and her wedding being out of town, I’m tight on funds. How can I tell her I can’t make it?”
Google’s AI chatbot is stepping up its game, aiming to offer recommendations that enhance our overall well-being. While features mirroring these capabilities can be found in Google Bard, the chatbot does have its limits. For instance, when it comes to areas like finance, health, and legal counsel, the chatbot treads lightly. The new AI project seems to be targeting these gaps, though it’s still under evaluation and might not see the light of day.
Discussing the project, a DeepMind spokesperson shared with the NYT that Google often collaborates with diverse partners to gauge their research and products. They emphasized, “It’s a continuous process. But taking snippets of these evaluations doesn’t give the full picture of our product direction.”
The burning question is whether this new “life coach” AI will be merged with the Bard. On a side note, Google’s also dabbling in AI assistance for journalists. They’re in the process of developing an AI tool that aids in news article creation, envisioning it as a trusty sidekick for journalists and media houses.
