Google has abandoned its proposed AI-powered chatbot app, named "Bubble Characters," which was intended for the Gen Z demographic. It was designed to feature cartoon-like characters conducting conversations with youngsters and providing advice. Despite the app, Google had been working on a series of other AI-driven projects incorporating their large language models within the last few months.
Google had been developing an artificial intelligence-powered mobile chatbot app for Gen Z users called "Bubble Characters" involving interactive digital characters. However, the company recently "deprioritized" those efforts in an internal reorganization, which typically means the product's work is halted. The app's description promised "human-like" conversations that were powered by large language models, allowing for cartoon-like characters to engage in conversation, ask follow-up questions, and provide relationship advice. This work was one of many AI-powered projects utilizing Google's language models in the last several months. Executives have since prioritized the release of another ChatGPT-competitor Bard and some of the Bubble Characters team were asked to work on Bard ahead of its launch. Further, some of Google's top AI researchers have since left the company to found their own chatbot businesses, and Character.AI, led by former Google researchers Noam Shazeer and Daniel De Freitas, raised $150 million from Andreessen Horowitz in March.
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