# Google Bard launch error
The Google Bard launch error was a factual mistake made by Google's Bard chatbot in its first public demo on 6 February 2023, an error that contributed to a one-day loss of roughly $100 billion in Alphabet's market value on 8 February 2023.[1](https://www.reuters.com/technology/google-ai-chatbot-bard-offers-inaccurate-information-company-ad-2023-02-08/) Bard, Google's conversational answer to OpenAI's ChatGPT, was announced that Monday by CEO Sundar Pichai and promoted in a GIF posted to Twitter; within hours astronomers had shown that its answer about astronomy was wrong, spoiling a week that was meant to highlight Google's answer to Microsoft's AI advances.[2](https://qz.com/google-bard-rival-microsoft-chatgpt-ad-error-1850092796)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Error shown | Twitter GIF posted by Google on 6 February 2023, Bard's first public demo[3](https://www.theverge.com/2023/2/8/23590864/google-ai-chatbot-bard-mistake-error-exoplanet-demo) |
| The mistake | Bard said the James Webb Space Telescope "took the very first pictures of a planet outside of our own solar system"[3](https://www.theverge.com/2023/2/8/23590864/google-ai-chatbot-bard-mistake-error-exoplanet-demo) |
| Correct answer | The first image of an exoplanet was taken by the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope in 2004, according to NASA[4](https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/08/tech/google-ai-bard-demo-error) |
| Market impact | About $100 billion erased from Alphabet's market value on 8 February 2023[1](https://www.reuters.com/technology/google-ai-chatbot-bard-offers-inaccurate-information-company-ad-2023-02-08/) |
| Share fall | 7.7% to 9% intraday, depending on the measure; closing prices reported between $99.05 and roughly $99.40[4](https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/08/tech/google-ai-bard-demo-error) • [6](https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2023/2/8/google-shares-tank-8-as-ai-chatbot-bard-flubs-answer-in-ad) |
| Who spotted it | Astrophysicist Grant Tremblay and other astronomers on Twitter; Reuters first reported the error[2](https://qz.com/google-bard-rival-microsoft-chatgpt-ad-error-1850092796) |
| Google's response | Spokesperson statement, Trusted Tester program, public launch promised "in the coming weeks"[3](https://www.theverge.com/2023/2/8/23590864/google-ai-chatbot-bard-mistake-error-exoplanet-demo) • [4](https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/08/tech/google-ai-bard-demo-error) |
## What happened
On 6 February 2023, the same day Pichai announced that [Bard](https://www.edgepedia.org/bard-chatbot), powered by Google's LaMDA model, would open to trusted testers, Google shared a promotional GIF on Twitter showing the chatbot in action.[2](https://qz.com/google-bard-rival-microsoft-chatgpt-ad-error-1850092796) Asked "What new discoveries from the James Webb Space Telescope can I tell my 9 year old about?", Bard returned three bullet points, one stating that the telescope "took the very first pictures of a planet outside of our own solar system."[3](https://www.theverge.com/2023/2/8/23590864/google-ai-chatbot-bard-mistake-error-exoplanet-demo)
The claim was false. According to NASA, the first image showing an exoplanet, a planet beyond our solar system, was taken by the [European Southern Observatory](https://www.edgepedia.org/european-southern-observatory)'s Very Large Telescope in 2004, nearly two decades before the [James Webb Space Telescope](https://www.edgepedia.org/james-webb-space-telescope) launched.[4](https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/08/tech/google-ai-bard-demo-error) Astronomers on Twitter flagged the mistake quickly. Grant Tremblay, an astrophysicist, tweeted that "JWST did not take 'the very first image of a planet outside our solar system,'" and [Chris Harrison](https://www.edgepedia.org/chris-harrison), a fellow at Newcastle University, replied to Google's tweet: "Why didn't you factcheck this example before sharing it?"[3](https://www.theverge.com/2023/2/8/23590864/google-ai-chatbot-bard-mistake-error-exoplanet-demo) • [5](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64576225) Reuters was first to report the error in the advertisement, and New Scientist followed.[1](https://www.reuters.com/technology/google-ai-chatbot-bard-offers-inaccurate-information-company-ad-2023-02-08/) • [2](https://qz.com/google-bard-rival-microsoft-chatgpt-ad-error-1850092796)
## Timeline of the sell-off
The error landed in the middle of a two-company AI showdown. Google's announcement came on Monday 6 February. On Tuesday 7 February, Microsoft held a surprise event unveiling a new Bing built with OpenAI technology, and Alphabet shares rose nearly 5% that day.[2](https://qz.com/google-bard-rival-microsoft-chatgpt-ad-error-1850092796) • [7](https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonathanponciano/2023/02/08/alphabet-google-stock-plunge-erases-100-billion-after-new-ai-chatbot-gives-wrong-answer-in-ad/)
The mistake was spotted just hours before Google's own Bard launch event in Paris on 8 February, where senior executive [Prabhakar Raghavan](https://www.edgepedia.org/prabhakar-raghavan) promised that users would interact with information in "entirely new ways."[6](https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2023/2/8/google-shares-tank-8-as-ai-chatbot-bard-flubs-answer-in-ad) During regular trading that day Alphabet shares slid as much as 9%, on volumes nearly three times the 50-day moving average; they pared losses after hours and were roughly flat.[1](https://www.reuters.com/technology/google-ai-chatbot-bard-offers-inaccurate-information-company-ad-2023-02-08/) By the close, Alphabet had fallen roughly 7.7% to 8%, after sliding as much as 9% intraday, while Microsoft's share price rose 3%.[2](https://qz.com/google-bard-rival-microsoft-chatgpt-ad-error-1850092796)
## By the numbers
The headline figure is the roughly $100 billion wiped from Alphabet's market value on Wednesday 8 February 2023, reported by Reuters, CNN, the BBC, Forbes, and NPR alike.[1](https://www.reuters.com/technology/google-ai-chatbot-bard-offers-inaccurate-information-company-ad-2023-02-08/) • [4](https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/08/tech/google-ai-bard-demo-error) • [5](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64576225) • [8](https://www.npr.org/2023/02/09/1155650909/google-chatbot--error-bard-shares) The BBC put it at $100 billion, or £82 billion.[5](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64576225)
The percentage of the one-day fall is reported differently across outlets: CNN gave 7.7%, the BBC more than 7%, Al Jazeera 8% (a fall of $8.59 to $99.05), Forbes nearly 8% (to roughly $99.40), and Reuters as much as 9% intraday.[4](https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/08/tech/google-ai-bard-demo-error) • [5](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64576225) • [6](https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2023/2/8/google-shares-tank-8-as-ai-chatbot-bard-flubs-answer-in-ad) • [7](https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonathanponciano/2023/02/08/alphabet-google-stock-plunge-erases-100-billion-after-new-ai-chatbot-gives-wrong-answer-in-ad/) • [1](https://www.reuters.com/technology/google-ai-chatbot-bard-offers-inaccurate-information-company-ad-2023-02-08/) Al Jazeera noted the stock was among the most actively traded on US exchanges that day.[6](https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2023/2/8/google-shares-tank-8-as-ai-chatbot-bard-flubs-answer-in-ad) For context, Alphabet's stock had lost 40% of its value in 2022 but had rallied 15% since the beginning of 2023, excluding the 8 February losses.[1](https://www.reuters.com/technology/google-ai-chatbot-bard-offers-inaccurate-information-company-ad-2023-02-08/)
## Google's response
A Google spokesperson, Jane Park, said the error "highlights the importance of a rigorous testing process, something that we're kicking off this week with our Trusted Tester program," which combined external feedback with internal testing.[3](https://www.theverge.com/2023/2/8/23590864/google-ai-chatbot-bard-mistake-error-exoplanet-demo) The company said Bard would first be opened to trusted testers that week, with plans to make it available to the public in the coming weeks.[4](https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/08/tech/google-ai-bard-demo-error)
The demo error sat on top of an internal emergency already under way. An internal memo viewed by CNBC before the incident said that, as a result of ChatGPT, the LaMDA team had been asked to prioritize working on a response to ChatGPT, a project described internally as a "code red."[2](https://qz.com/google-bard-rival-microsoft-chatgpt-ad-error-1850092796)
## Causation and disputes
Whether the error alone caused the sell-off is not settled by the reporting. Reuters framed the day as a combination: the chatbot shared inaccurate information in a promotional video, and a company event "failed to dazzle," feeding worries that Alphabet was losing ground to Microsoft.[1](https://www.reuters.com/technology/google-ai-chatbot-bard-offers-inaccurate-information-company-ad-2023-02-08/) Google's live-streamed presentation on 8 February did not include details about how and when Bard would be integrated into its core search function, a day after Microsoft's event touting AI-powered Bing.[1](https://www.reuters.com/technology/google-ai-chatbot-bard-offers-inaccurate-information-company-ad-2023-02-08/) The broader backdrop was Google on the defensive after OpenAI, backed by Microsoft with around $10 billion, introduced ChatGPT in November 2022.[1](https://www.reuters.com/technology/google-ai-chatbot-bard-offers-inaccurate-information-company-ad-2023-02-08/)
Financial analysts did not uniformly read the episode as fatal. [Bank of America](https://www.edgepedia.org/bank-of-america) analysts remained bullish on Google's AI strategy after the error, writing in a note to clients that Google was "well prepared with years of investment" in the technology and had a distribution advantage over Microsoft, while warning that result inaccuracy or bias, disinformation, and potential misuse of models were key risks.[7](https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonathanponciano/2023/02/08/alphabet-google-stock-plunge-erases-100-billion-after-new-ai-chatbot-gives-wrong-answer-in-ad/) The exact percentage fall and the closing price also differ across outlets, as noted above, and the sources reviewed here do not reconcile them.[4](https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/08/tech/google-ai-bard-demo-error) • [6](https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2023/2/8/google-shares-tank-8-as-ai-chatbot-bard-flubs-answer-in-ad)
## What it says about hallucination and demo-driven AI marketing
The mechanism of the error was what researchers call hallucination in large language models. As [The Verge](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-verge) explained, such systems do not query a database of proven facts to answer questions; they are trained on huge corpora of text and analyze patterns to determine which word follows the next in any given sentence, so a fluent, confident answer can still be false.[3](https://www.theverge.com/2023/2/8/23590864/google-ai-chatbot-bard-mistake-error-exoplanet-demo) The astronomers' reaction sharpened the point: the example chosen for marketing had not been factchecked, as Chris Harrison's reply made explicit.[5](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64576225)
The episode also highlighted a contrast in how competitors marketed the same class of flawed technology. Microsoft's AI-powered Bing carried a disclaimer that "Bing is powered by AI, so surprises and mistakes are possible," placing the burden of checking facts on the user.[3](https://www.theverge.com/2023/2/8/23590864/google-ai-chatbot-bard-mistake-error-exoplanet-demo) CNN framed the blunder as illustrating Google's specific challenge: racing to integrate the same AI technology underpinning ChatGPT into its core search engine without upending its reputation for reliable information.[4](https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/08/tech/google-ai-bard-demo-error)
## References
1. Reuters, "Alphabet shares dive after Google AI chatbot Bard flubs answer in ad", https://www.reuters.com/technology/google-ai-chatbot-bard-offers-inaccurate-information-company-ad-2023-02-08/
2. Quartz, "Bard's first public mistake cost Google $100 billion", https://qz.com/google-bard-rival-microsoft-chatgpt-ad-error-1850092796
3. The Verge, "Google's AI chatbot Bard makes factual error in first demo", https://www.theverge.com/2023/2/8/23590864/google-ai-chatbot-bard-mistake-error-exoplanet-demo
4. CNN, "Google shares lose $100 billion after company's AI chatbot makes an error during demo", https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/08/tech/google-ai-bard-demo-error
5. BBC News, "Google's Bard AI bot mistake wipes $100bn off shares", https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-64576225
6. Al Jazeera, "Google shares tank 8% as AI chatbot Bard flubs answer in ad", https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2023/2/8/google-shares-tank-8-as-ai-chatbot-bard-flubs-answer-in-ad
7. Forbes, "Alphabet Stock Plunge Erases $100 Billion After New AI Chatbot Gives Wrong Answer In Ad", https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonathanponciano/2023/02/08/alphabet-google-stock-plunge-erases-100-billion-after-new-ai-chatbot-gives-wrong-answer-in-ad/
8. NPR, "Google's AI chatbot, Bard, sparks a $100 billion loss in Alphabet shares", https://www.npr.org/2023/02/09/1155650909/google-chatbot--error-bard-shares
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Technology and the built world › Computing and digital systems › Modern AI: foundation models, generative AI, and the AI industry › AI companies, people, and products › AI controversies and incidents*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 11, 2026 · Last review: Sep 30, 2026*
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