An improved Bard

The conversational AI tool can now connect to Google apps and services

Image credit: Canva

On September 19, Google introduced an improved version of its conversational agent tool Bard with several new features.

Here are some key points:

• Integration with Google Apps: Bard now integrates with various Google apps and services, including Gmail, Docs, Drive, Google Maps, YouTube, and more. This integration allows Bard to fetch and present information from these tools in one conversation.

• Privacy: Content from Gmail, Docs, and Drive is not accessed by human reviewers or used for ad targeting or model training. Users have control over their privacy settings and can disable these extensions at any time.

• Double-Check responses: Bard offers a "Google it" button to verify its responses. Users can click on the button to check the information against the web for further validation.

• Collaborative conversations: Users can continue conversations shared via public links and ask Bard additional questions or use them as a starting point for their ideas.

• Expanded localization support: Features like image uploads, search images in responses, and modifying Bard's responses are now available in over 40 languages.

• Improved large language model: These enhancements are made possible by updates to the PaLM 2 model, aiming to make Bard more intuitive and imaginative in its responses.