Google Bard, the cutting-edge generative AI platform from tech giant Google, has taken a significant stride forward in its capabilities. With the introduction of Bard Extensions, users can now seamlessly integrate various Google services, including Gmail, Maps, and YouTube, to augment their interactions with the AI.
Bard Gets a Major Upgrade
Launched earlier this year, Google Bard has quickly gained recognition for its ability to provide detailed written responses to user inquiries. Now, Google has unveiled Bard Extensions, a pivotal enhancement that empowers users to link multiple Google services, enabling Bard to furnish comprehensive responses to prompts.
A Multifaceted Collaborative Experience
With Bard Extensions, the possibilities are endless. For instance, if you’re planning a vacation, you can instruct Bard to retrieve travel dates from your Gmail, map out directions using Google Maps, and find insightful YouTube videos about your destination—all within a single interaction. This update positions Bard as “the most capable” version yet, poised to foster greater collaboration among users.
Prioritising User Privacy
Google has underlined its commitment to user privacy with this update. To access Google services, users must explicitly grant permission to Bard. Furthermore, any data accessed by Bard remains beyond human review unless a user specifically requests Bard to flag it for review.
Vigilance Against Misinformation
As generative AI platforms evolve, concerns about misinformation have grown. Experts caution that information presented by AI can sometimes lack accuracy or rely on outdated data. To address this, Google is introducing a “Google it” button that enables users to cross-reference Bard’s responses with Google search results, highlighting areas of confidence and potential disparities.
Addressing Concerns
The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) recently examined the AI market’s impact. In a report released on Monday, the CMA warned of the dangers of misinformation and AI-enabled fraud without proper guiding principles.
Customised Collaboration
Yury Pinsky, Google’s Director for Product Management of Bard, expressed excitement about the possibilities: “Bard has the ability to customize its responses to precisely match your requirements. Today, we’re introducing Bard Extensions in English, offering an entirely novel approach to engage and cooperate with Bard. Through these Extensions, Bard can locate and present you with pertinent information from the everyday Google tools you rely on.”
Sharing Conversations Made Easy
In another noteworthy addition, Google allows Bard conversations to be shared online. Others can click on the shared link and seamlessly continue the same conversation.
Google Bard’s evolution is poised to revolutionise AI interactions, making them more personalised, informative, and collaborative than ever before.
