Google’s Bard artificial intelligence chatbot is set for a major evolution. The tech giant has announced a series of groundbreaking updates that will grant the chatbot access to Google’s full suite of tools, including YouTube, Google Drive, Google Flights, and others. This integration will enable Bard to assist users in a more diverse set of tasks, including planning trips with real flight options, summarizing Google Drive documents, and more. These connections to Google’s other services are just the tip of the iceberg, with other notable enhancements including multilingual communication, new fact-checking capabilities, and a comprehensive update to the large language model Bard is built upon.

This marks the most significant update to Google’s Bard since its public release six months ago. The move arrives amidst a fierce race between Google and other tech behemoths, including Microsoft and OpenAI, to roll out increasingly sophisticated consumer-facing AI technologies. This update is seen as a strategic move by Google to flex the power of its widely used software programs, making Bard a more versatile tool. As Sissie Hsiao, general manager for Google Assistant and Bard, puts it, "Bringing all the power of these tools together will save people time — in 20 seconds, in minutes, you can do something that would have taken maybe an hour or more."

Google’s AI Chatbot Bard Gets a Major Upgrade

Google’s artificial intelligence chatbot, Bard, is steadily evolving. The tech giant has recently announced a range of updates to Bard, including providing the chatbot access to Google’s complete suite of tools such as YouTube, Google Drive, Google Flights, and more. This upgrade is set to enhance Bard’s capabilities, allowing it to assist users with an array of tasks. Whether it’s planning a trip with real flight options or summarizing meeting notes from a Google Drive document, Bard is set to become significantly more versatile.

Multi-Lingual Communication, Fact-Checking Capabilities, and more

Aside from integrating with Google’s services, several other improvements are included in the update. Bard now supports communication in multiple languages, has new fact-checking capabilities, and has received a broad update to the large language model it is built on. These improvements mark the most significant update to Bard since it was publicly released six months ago.

The Race for AI Dominance

This upgrade comes amidst a competitive race among tech giants such as Google, Microsoft, and ChatGPT maker OpenAI, to develop and roll out increasingly sophisticated consumer-facing AI technologies. As Sissie Hsiao, general manager for Google Assistant and Bard, puts it, "Bringing all the power of these tools together will save people time — in 20 seconds, in minutes, you can do something that would have taken maybe an hour or more.”

Google Services Integration and Double-Check Feature

Previously, Bard was able to assist with tasks like drafting essays or planning events, drawing on Google’s large language model. With the recent updates, Bard will now pull information from YouTube, Google Maps, Flights, and Hotels by default. Users can also link their Gmail, Docs, and Google Drive to Bard for more personalized assistance. To address AI’s common issue of accuracy, Bard has also introduced a "double-check" button that lets users evaluate the accuracy of its responses.

Bard: An Experiment in Progress

While still in its early days, Bard, launched in March as an "experiment", shows promise in how Google plans to incorporate generative AI into its services. Despite the potential for displaying inaccurate or offensive information, the new update provides a glimpse into Google’s AI ambitions.

Takeaways

The significance of this update lies not only in the widening of Bard’s capabilities but also in the potential it represents for the future of AI tech. By integrating with Google’s suite of tools, Bard is becoming a more comprehensive assistant, capable of not only providing information but also interacting with other apps and services for more helpful responses. It’s an exciting step forward in the ongoing evolution of AI technology.