On 6 February 2023, Google announced Bard, an experimental chatbot, and the next day Microsoft showed a new version of its Bing search engine with a built-in AI chat. Search was changing from a list of links into a conversation.
Search versus chat
A normal search gives you links and leaves you to read and judge them. A chatbot gives you a written answer. That is faster, but it hides the sources unless the tool shows them, and it can state wrong things confidently. Early demonstrations of both products included factual slips, which showed how important checking remains.
A simple routine for pupils and teachers
- Ask clearly, with the context included.
- Look for sources. If the tool cannot say where a claim comes from, treat it as a lead, not a fact.
- Check one important claim in a trusted place such as a textbook, official website or reputable news source.
- Say how you used it. In schoolwork, note when AI helped.
Why this matters for Nigerian learners
Many pupils search from a phone with limited data. Chat answers can be shorter than opening ten pages, which helps. But the habit of checking is more valuable than any single tool, and it is something a teacher can model in class.