Google has revealed that it will expand the accessibility of “Bard”, the tech giant’s artificially intelligent (AI) chatbot, which is being developed to compete against Microsoft’s early dominance in a crucial field of technology.

The tool will be included in the next phase of development for “Bard,” Google’s own AI chatbot, and is aimed at countering Microsoft’s highly publicized release.

Google it has not disclosed the number of individuals who will be granted access to Bard during the technology’s upcoming stage of development. The first wave of applicants will be limited to the US and the UK, with Bard becoming available in additional countries at a later date,

Google is proceeding with caution when it comes to introducing its AI tools, partially due to the potential consequences of the technology providing erroneous information or leading users astray.

This is because Google’s dominant search engine has effectively become the internet’s gateway for billions of individuals, creating the possibility of a significant backlash that could damage the company’s reputation and undermine its ad-based revenue if the AI technology malfunctions.

Despite the technology’s pitfalls, Bard still offers “incredible benefits” such as “jumpstarting human productivity, creativity and curiosity”, Google said in a blog post that two of its vice presidents — Sissie Hsiao and Eli Collins — wrote with assistance from Bard.

Following its debut, Bard suffered an embarrassing error when it incorrectly provided a response to a scientific milestone during a demonstration intended to showcase the tool’s intelligence. The blunder was highly visible and demonstrated that the technology was not infallible.