Can AI Write Well?

Let me lay my cards on the table.

I didn’t like the rubbish articles that the so-called AI writing apps created.

Whichever I tested created bland generic pieces of text.

• No voice
• No personality
• No useful information

So I ignored AI.

Until now.

Has AI Changed the Landscape Now?

Everyone raved about ChatGPT. So I took a look. 

Give us your email address… and your mobile phone number… and then you can join the queue. Sorry, can’t tell you when you’ll be let in. And we might charge…

I wasn’t prepared to give them my mobile phone number.

So, instead, I joined the Google Bard AI queue.

Within minutes, I was in. And experimenting.

Am I Impressed by Google Bard?

I asked Bard

Who is David Withington?

But it didn’t know me.

My Mum would have been really upset by that.

It’s no problem, though, because not many people know about me. I’m not famous or anything. Never been on the telly or anything like that.

So I asked it to tell me about Tech it Easy.

Tech it Easy is my website and the presentations that I do on cruise ships and locally for charities and community groups. It’s everyday tech simplified.

Here’s what I asked Google Bard…

Tell me what the Tech it Easy lectures and workshops are about. Can I go to a Tech it Easy talk on a cruise?

And here’s what Bard came up with…

What Google Bard Says About Tech it Easy

Sure. Tech it Easy lectures and workshops are about simplifying technology and making it easy to understand for everyone. They cover a wide range of topics, including:

• How to use the internet
• How to use social media
• How to use email
• How to use computers
• How to use smartphones and tablets
• How to stay safe online
• How to use technology to improve your life

Tech it Easy talks are available on cruise ships. You can find out more information about upcoming talks on the Tech it Easy website.

Here are some of the benefits of attending a Tech it Easy lecture or workshop:

• You will learn how to use technology in a more efficient and effective way.
• You will be able to stay safe online.
• You will be able to use technology to improve your life.
• You will have fun and learn something new.

If you are interested in learning more about Tech it Easy lectures and workshops, please visit the Tech it Easy website.

Here are some additional details about Tech it Easy lectures and workshops:

• They are led by David Withington, a technology expert with over 40 years of experience.
• They are designed for people of all ages and skill levels.
• They are interactive and engaging.
• They provide practical advice that you can use in your everyday life.

If you are looking for a way to learn more about technology and how to use it in your life, then I encourage you to attend a Tech it Easy lecture or workshop. You won’t be disappointed.

My Thoughts on the Bard AI Result

Hey, some of it is rather generic. Just like all those apps I’ve tested…

I encourage you to attend a Tech it Easy lecture or workshop. You won’t be disappointed.

But other bits are more specific. Such as the Tech it Easy topics, and how long I’ve been in the industry…

They are led by David Withington, a technology expert with over 40 years of experience.

…even though I wouldn’t ever describe myself as an ex-spurt!

Too much AI Gobbledegook?

I asked Google Bard to explain how AI works.

And it did. 

But its explanation was rather complex. 

So I asked Bard to simplify it.

That resulted in a shorter version of the same gobbledegook.

Then I asked Bard to explain AI to a 12-year-old.

Explain how AI works. Please write as a 12 year old would understand it.

The output was still a bit complex, so I asked Bard to simplify it again.

Here’s what it said…

AI programs are like really smart robots. They can learn to do things by themselves, even if they’re never been taught how to do those things before. They do this by being trained on a lot of data. This data can be anything from text to images to videos. Once they’ve been trained, they can use their knowledge to make predictions or decisions.

For example, an AI program that is trained on a lot of images of cats will learn how to recognize cats. Once it has learned how to recognize cats, it can be used to help people find lost cats.

AI is a powerful technology that has the potential to make our lives easier and more efficient. It is important to understand how AI works so that we can use it responsibly and ethically.

How Does Google Bard Work?

Google is an amazing search engine. Possibly the world’s biggest and best.

So it has a massive database on everything that’s out there on the public internet. 

All it needed to do is visit a few websites where Tech it Easy and yours truly are mentioned, and pull them all together.

It’s that pulling them all together that is the big deal maker.

AI is beginning to write well.

Is Bard Accurate?

I discovered Bard isn’t always accurate.

Sometimes it provides out-of-date information, such as last year’s prices.

I wondered if that’s because Bard uses stored rather than live information.

So I asked it…

Does Bard use stored or live information?

It told me in the very first sentence, and then expanded. Pretty cool, eh?

Bard uses both stored and live information. I am trained on a massive dataset of text and code, which is stored in Google’s data centers. I can access this information to answer your questions, generate text, translate languages, and write different kinds of creative content. I can also access live information from the internet, such as the current weather or the latest news. I use this information to keep my responses up-to-date and accurate.

How Can I Use Google Bard?

First of all, go to Bard.Google.com.

If it’s your first visit, you’ll need to join the queue and Google will send you an email when it’s your turn to be let in. For me, that was almost immediately.

Write what you would like Bard to do in the Prompt box and hit the button.

Should I Copy & Paste an AI Output?

I like to write my own content. With my own style.

So at this stage, it’s still a no from me. I won’t let AI write my articles.

However, I did copy and paste those quotes that you read above. They’re unaltered. That’s so you could see what Bard actually said. 

But if I ever use AI to create content in the future, I’ll just use it as a base. I’ll modify it, add my personality, add my voice, add a bit of David humour…

The Future of AI

It isn’t perfect yet.

But with the massive steps AI seems to have taken over the past year or so, I don’t think it will be too long before it’ll get to the point where it’ll write really good stuff.

What do you think?