Is LaMDA AI Changing the Future of Search, Digital Marketing, and Everything in Between?
Is LaMDA AI Changing the Future of Search, Digital Marketing, and Everything in Between?
Danny Shepherd, Co-CEO • Intero Digital • February 28, 2023
Like it or not, conversational AI is more than here to stay. It’s poised to transform the way we interact with everything from content creation to search engine marketing. But are the bots making enough headway to prompt marketers to rethink their strategic plans? That’s what we decided to find out.
Our interest in AI was piqued in 2022 Q4 when OpenAI released ChatGPT. We weren’t surprised when millions of people flocked to it to do everything from writing code to generating thesis statements. It’s certainly a fascinating tool. Nonetheless, what changed the game for us was the announcement that Bing would incorporate ChatGPT into its search engine results. Like so many other digital marketing experts, we wondered how this move could change the future of search.
Of course, it’s impossible to talk about search without mentioning Google. Would the behemoth respond? That question turned out to be rhetorical with the release of Google’s beta version alternative to ChatGPT, driven by LaMDA. As soon as Google opened LaMDA’s AI to a limited pool of mobile testers, we jumped into the fray to explore its attributes.
LaMDA AI: The Basics, the Possibilities, and the Verdicts
Google set up three LaMDA demos within its AI Test Kitchen app. Each of the demos was given a special name and purpose. Below are our findings and thoughts based on deep dives into the overall product and user experience.
1. Imagine It
With Imagine It, LaMDA invited us to provide an imaginative prompt beginning with the phrase “Imagine I’m at…” The promise was that LaMDA would serve up descriptions to flesh out the scene, as well as provide links to correlating ideas.
Our team launched into creative mode and “imagined” everything from cotton candy cloud castles to Google’s data center. And to be honest, the results were entertaining. However, they just didn’t pass AI writing detection tests.
2. List It
We were more hopeful with “List It”, where we were asked to present a goal or topic. The expectation was that LaMDA would respond with a list of subtopics and other themes. For anyone who’s ever struggled with writer’s block, “List It” sounds tantalizing.
During our tests, we gave LaMBDA several topics including how to plan a week and how to increase your net worth by one-billion dollars. What we received were list responses that helped organize our thoughts but didn’t really give us much more.
As a task management or outlining product, “List It” seems like a winner. Just don’t leave your net worth decisions in its hands… at least yet.
3. Talk About It
This is where we got a sneak peek at Google’s best conversational chat technology, named “Tennis Ball”. The strange caveat? Tennis Ball will only talk about dogs.
Now, we did try to “trick” Tennis Ball into talking about something other than canines. It didn’t work. Since it’s designed to be restrictive, it won’t go off-topic.
We had high hopes of discovering whether LaMDA (through Tennis Ball) is actually sentient or not, Google is still holding their cards close. So we’re resigned to discussing kibble and playing fetch.
Is it time for marketers to fold conversational AI into everything from their SEO games to content creation? Probably not. Stay tuned, though: Google just announced that Bard would be coming to a search bar near you. The bots apparently have more to say—and we’ll be happy to listen.
