Google is readying an API and other enterprise tools for its Pathways Language Model (PaLM) — a large language model similar to GPT — to encourage developers to create chatbots and other apps using the platform. PaLM is one of Google’s most advanced systems, with the capability to generate text, images, code, video and audio from natural language prompts. Much like OpenAI’s GTP series and the LLaMA family from Meta Platforms, it is suitable for a wide variety of general tasks. To facilitate PaLM’s use for specific tasks, Google is launching the MakerSuite along with the PaLM API.

“With MakerSuite, you’ll be able to iterate on prompts, augment your dataset with synthetic data, and easily tune custom models,” Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian writes in a blog post.

“Google says this sort of fine-tuning, which is necessary to create a consumer-friendly AI system, can even be done in a browser, with the computationally intensive work of training and deployment handled by Google Cloud,” The Verge explains.

PaLM was first announced by the Alphabet subsidiary in April 2022. In addition to the PaLM API, Google is also enhancing support for its Vertex generative AI platform, designed to aid businesses in training and deploying machine learning models.

Vertex AI is gaining access to more models built by Google Research and DeepMind, the company’s AI subsidiary. In the future, it will be able to leverage open-source and third-party systems, the company says.

Google is also debuting a platform called Generative AI App Builder, which “allows developers to quickly ship new experiences including bots, chat interfaces, custom search engines, digital assistants, and more,” the company says, explaining that with it, developers “have API access to Google’s foundation models and can use out-of-the-box templates to jumpstart the creation of gen apps in minutes or hours.”

This is all part of “a big push by Google to put more AI tools in the hands of more companies,” The Verge writes. “Specifically, access to PaLM will give businesses the opportunity to build new AI language services the same way OpenAI’s language APIs led to an explosion of startups.” Kurian calls it ”a pivotal moment” in the company’s AI journey.

The PaLM API and MakerSuite will make it “easy and safe to experiment with Google’s large language models” by facilitating quick and simple prototyping, according to a blog post that notes “we’ll be making these tools available to select developers through a private preview.”

Related:
Google Announces AI Features in Gmail, Docs, and More to Rival Microsoft, The Verge, 3/14/23
Google to Weave AI Technology into Its Health-Care Offerings, Bloomberg, 3/14/23