Google’s Bard Chatbot Gets a Major Upgrade

Google recently upgraded its Bard chatbot to the new Gemini Pro large language model. According to Google, Gemini Pro is a significant improvement over GPT-3.5. Having used ChatGPT and Bard side-by-side to plan a trip, I found Bard to be faster and provide better results.

Bard vs ChatGPT for Trip Planning

When I asked both chatbots to help me plan a trip to Portland, Oregon in July, Bard consistently outperformed ChatGPT. It was able to integrate my suggestions and provide a more personalized experience. Bard also included thumbnails, which gave me a better idea of the activities it suggested. It also considered my kids’ ages and mentioned specific activities for each, while ChatGPT only included family-friendly activities.

My Experience with ChatGPT

I asked ChatGPT to help me plan a trip to Portland, and it only provided a three-day itinerary despite claiming it was for seven days. It overpacked the schedule and didn’t include local activities despite my request. It required more work to get the desired results.

My Experience with Bard

When I asked Bard to help me plan the same trip, it immediately provided a warmer and more personal response. I asked for kid activities, and it promptly included them in the schedule. It consistently integrated my suggestions and provided a more human-curated experience. While Bard wasn’t perfect and dropped half the answers at times, it was faster and provided better results overall.