United States: Google can't keep up with the current generation of AI craze. To its workspace suite, which includes Gmail, Chat, Docs, Meet, Slides and Sheets, the tech giant has added AI-based features. It also begs the question: Where is Google's ChatGPT competitor Bard?

Google has lagged behind OpenAI in the AI race. The risk it took when the Microsoft-backed company decided to release ChatGPT is what catapulted it to the top of the field.

Google's attempt to bring the race closer by using Bard didn't go as planned, and now the chatbot is in hiding. Meanwhile the Microsoft-OpenAI team is increasing its lead over the competition.

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Many criticized Google's hasty attempt to compete with Bard with ChatGPT, calling it "hasty" and "misguided". What was intended as a response to ChatGPT instead raised a lot of doubts about Google's credibility and AI readiness.

The company decided to work on increasing the bard, as any sensible person would do. However, recently the atmosphere has changed.

When Google first released Bard, its main competitor was the more powerful ChatGPT. There's a new face in the picture now, and it's much better than ChatGPT, which is powered by GPT-3.5.

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The latest competitor is GPT-4, the next-generation LLM that powers Microsoft's revamped Bing. Bing is undeniably relevant now more than ever. In fact, the world is changing faster than you can imagine because of GPT-4.

For Bard, the introduction of GPT-4 has made things challenging. Google used to face GPT-3.5. It should now take GPT-4 into account. It's fair to expect the Bard to return with a bang at Google I/O 2023 in May.

The question is, will the Microsoft-OpenAI partnership gain an unassailable short-term lead in the AI race by then?

Google's decision to incorporate generative AI into Workspace can be interpreted as a statement that the company is not yet ready to back down. With Microsoft's "Future of Work" event just days away, its timing speaks for itself.

On the other hand, Google is probably competing with itself in AI. At first, only the AI writing tools in Docs and Gmail will be accessible.

Several AI-powered features have been announced by Google. This includes letting users compose emails in Gmail, helping users create or edit documents in Docs, automatically create images, audio and video in Slides, create formulas in Sheets, or take notes in Meet. On March 16, Microsoft is scheduled to reveal comparable features for its Office suite of programs.

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The Docs and Gmail apps will be the first to offer AI-powered writing features, though they'll eventually be available in the Google Workspace suite.

This year, "trusted testers" will be given access to "New Generational AI experiences," according to the US-based company. However, we don't know when these AI features will be available to the general public in typical Google fashion.