Google is asking employees to test out new artificial intelligence chat features similar to ChatGPT, the latest sign the mega search engine feels pressure from the upstart chatbot.

CNBC reports that Google, under its parent company Alphabet, is working on a project under its cloud unit called "Atlas," which is a "code red" effort in response to ChatGPT, the large-language chatbot that has held the public's attention since its late 2022 release.

Google's decision to focus more of its resources on artificial intelligence-powered chatbots comes amid reports that the launch of ChatGPT has thrust the company into a panic. Following an all-hands meeting where multiple employees raised concerns regarding the company's AI disadvantage, Google's management declared a "code red."

One Google executive described the impending AI efforts as "make or break" for Google's future, according to the New York Times.

ChatGPT is a product from San Fransisco-based startup OpenAI, which developed the technology in collaboration with Microsoft, which was an early investor.

The major product Google has begun to test is a chatbot called "Apprentice Bard," which allows employees to ask questions and receive detailed answers, similar to ChatGPT.

According to CNBC, Apprentice Bard uses Google's conversation technology LaMDA, or Language Model for Dialogue Applications.

"As a result of ChatGPT, the LaMDA team has been asked to prioritize working on a response to ChatGPT," read one internal Google memo. "In the short term, it takes precedence over other projects," reports CNBC, warning that some employees stop attending certain unrelated meetings.

It's unclear what Google's next steps are in its response to the popularity of ChatGPT, but its shift in focus implies a potential public product launch in direct competition with the chatbot.

Google previously had "Meena," an internally launched version of a chatbot that was discontinued after company-wide interest dwindled.

In January, Google announced it would be slashing 12,000 jobs, joining the growing list of tech companies to announce major layoffs.

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