Google on Monday announced an artificial intelligence chatbot technology called “Bard” that the company will begin rolling out. The announcement confirms CNBC’s prior reporting. Bard will compete directly with rival ChatGPT, an AI service created by OpenAI.

The technology is powered by the company’s large language model LaMDA, or Language Model for Dialogue Applications. Google will open up the conversation technology to “trusted testers” ahead of making it more widely available to the public in the coming weeks, a Monday blog post stated.

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Last week, CNBC reported that Google is testing some of these features with employees as part of a “code red” plan to respond to ChatGPT, the popular chatbot backed in part by Microsoft. They included a chatbot called “Apprentice Bard,” as well as new search desktop designs that could be used in a question-and-answer format. 

The company gave an example of using Bard to simplify complex topics, like explaining new discoveries from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to a 9-year-old.

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