Google released Bard to compete with OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which on its end got big support from Microsoft.
The two services, Bard and ChatGPT, work similarly — allowing users to ask them just about anything and get prompt answers instead of a list of links to best-matched website results. As such, both are made to lower the rate of searchers and get us the answers we need faster. There will always be a search engine, but when we need some information, services like Bard will help us get that information without going through the clutter.
Bard wasn’t (and still isn’t) available worldwide when it was launched. And even when it’s released globally, it won’t be available everywhere. For instance, some universities may limit access to Bard so its students can do the work themselves — instead of AI doing the work for them. Also, these so-called generative AI services may not be allowed in all countries.
Luckily, there is a solution for that, and it’s the same solution that lets you browse the world wide web without any restrictions. It’s called VPN, and here are the best options for accessing Bard and just about any other site or service from all across the planet:
Pros
Cons
- 5,000+ servers in the network
- Easy to use - install it and forget it
- One license is good for up to 6 devices
- Strict zero-logs policy
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Chrome extension is just a proxy
- You can't pay with PayPal
Summary
Its network includes more than 5,000 servers spread across 60 countries, which directly translates into faster speeds. NordVPN is also very secure, relying on the strong 256-bit encryption combined with secure VPN protocols (OpenVPN, WireGuard, IKEv2/IPSec). But as a user, you get a seamless experience with all this technology "doing its thing" in the background.
NordVPN is well suited to pretty much every task you throw at it — whether it's accessing a banned site from some country that filters out the internet, torrenting, accessing streaming services, or just wanting to keep a low profile on the web. It also doesn't keep any logs.
We highly recommend NordVPN to anyone looking for reliable service.
Pros
Cons
- Good for both torrenting and streaming
- Works in China
- Solid network with servers in 60+ countries
- Easy to use apps on multiple platforms
- Live chat isn't always available
- Fairly pricey
Summary
Whether you need a VPN for watching Netflix shows or downloading files via BitTorrent, Astrill can help you out — all while keeping your identity under the radar. And this is especially true if you live or work in China when the company's stealth protocols will kick in to let you access all the popular sites that are by default blocked by the country's censors.
Astrill's apps are easy to use and available on all popular platforms. Nevertheless, they still manage to provide a host of advanced features tech-savvy folks are used to get. Highly recommended, again, especially if you're looking to bypass the Great Firewall of China.
Pros
Cons
- Feature-rich yet easy to use
- One of the best VPNs around
- Strong no-logging policy
- Reliable support you can reach 24/7
- Limited number of servers in Africa and the Middle East
- Kinda pricey
Summary
ExpressVPN has great desktop apps for Windows and Mac, mobile apps and browser extensions. Also, it is well suited for video streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer and others.
However, what makes it stand out is its ease of use. We can't emphasize this enough. One could tell a lot of time has been spent making sure even the advanced features are easily accessible. And we love it for that. Plus, let's not forget ExpressVPN's speed which tends to leave other services in the dust.
Pros
Cons
- Fast download and upload speeds
- Works with Netflix, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, etc.
- Great for torrenting
- Advanced privacy features (i.e. Tor over VPN)
- Relatively small number of servers
- There are no browser extensions
- Live chat support is not always available
Summary
Specifically, you can rely on PrivateVPN for both torrenting and streaming, without paying a premium. It is, in fact, one of the most affordable options in its league and we love it for that.
Customer support may not be on par with bigger players but it's not like you should experience many problems anyway. You will get the same level of security and privacy as with other services, and a single license will let you run PrivateVPN on up to 6 devices. Pretty cool.
Pros
Cons
- Works in China
- Many servers in Asia
- Strict zero-logs policy
- Advanced services like VyprVPN Cloud
- No browser extensions
- Torrenting could be better
Summary
It manages to bypass restrictions in high-censorship countries and elsewhere by relying on its proprietary Chameleon protocol, which can easily slide under the radar.
VyprVPN is also great for accessing video streaming services such as Netflix, Disney+, Hulu and so on — delivering the true buffer-free experience every single time. It will also work with BitTorrent, and consequently - Kodi.
VyprVPN has a strict zero-logs policy. Period.
With Bard, it’s all about conversations…
Bard works in a similar fashion to ChatGPT, allowing users to chat with a (very) smart bot and get instant answers to their questions. Also, like ChatGPT, it too can generate new bits of information, including entire essays and songs.
And say you don’t like the result Bard returned to you – you can ask it to refine it. For instance, if you ask it to prepare an essay about Nikola Tesla and get a result that goes into too much in detail, you can ask it to sum it all up in two paragraphs or to put more emphasis on its “battle” with Edison.
What is LLM?
Just like ChatGPT, Bard’s technology is based on a large language model (LLM) — which is a type of neural network that has been fed vast amounts of information in order to teach it how to process natural language. This means that these technologies have to be constantly fed with new data to provide results that are up to date.
If you recall, ChatGPT 3.5 was limited to information until 2021, with its successor (ChatGPT 4) being more up-to-date. Google’s Bard will likely suffer from similar issues, which too will be addressed with time.
If Bard has one advantage over ChatGPT, that would be that it’s using Google’s data — and Google has already indexed the vast majority of the Internet.
Bard is powered by Google’s Language Model for Dialogue Applications (LaMDA), released in 2021. This model (and data) will eventually supplement the Knowledge Graph Cards you see in Google Search when making queries that have a simple answer. Whereas the Knowledge Graph Card can provide a word’s definition or an overview of a person or place, Bard’s responses address so-called NORA (No One Right Answer) questions.
To that end, the LaMDA language models try to understand the user’s question and its context.
What does Bard mean?
Bard reportedly got its name from the word “poet,” as in the Bard of Avalon, William Shakespeare — a reference to its linguistic capabilities.
Also, bards are a type of playable character in Dungeons and Dragons, and they inspired the old Apple II game called The Bard’s Tale. So, the name has bits of both the classics and geeks in it. We kinda dig that.
We also like how you can use Bard as a standalone utility, but we also expect to see it fully integrated into Google Search in the near future. And after that, all of its apps and services.
You may need a VPN to use Bard…
Depending on where you live, you may need to use a VPN in order to access Bard (and many other services, for that matter). No matter how cool Bard is, we don’t think you should get a VPN only to access that one service. It’s like getting the latest iPhone only to make phone calls. That doesn’t make sense.
In fact, we believe everyone should be using a VPN these days to (better) protect his/her privacy online. The best VPNs listed on this page will do many things for you, including allowing you to:
- Accessing content that could otherwise be restricted in your physical location.
- Preventing tracking and minimizing your digital footprint so that no one can track you online (at least not that easily).
- Avoiding throttling from your ISP – which is known to happen when you’re torrenting or accessing video streaming services.
- Bypassing firewalls in a workplace, university, school and so on.
- Bypassing censorship in places like China, North Korea, countries in the Middle East, and even Turkey and Russia.
- Securely connecting to public Wi-Fi hotspots – with a VPN encrypting all the traffic coming to and from your devices.
The bottom line is – get a VPN that fits all your needs. The top contenders include the following:
