Google announced on September 19 that it has integrated Gmail, YouTube, and other tools into its Bard chatbot, in an effort to demonstrate that generative AI is useful and not dangerous or simply a passing trend.
For several years, the search engine giant has been quietly developing AI capabilities. However, it was caught off guard when OpenAI released ChatGPT last year and partnered with Microsoft to make the technology available to users worldwide.
As a response, Google swiftly launched its own Bard chatbot earlier this year, which is now available in over 40 languages. The company has also addressed data privacy concerns raised by regulators in Europe.
The enhanced chatbot will enable users to perform new tasks, such as summarizing a complex email thread into its main points or utilizing Google Maps to find the best route to a holiday destination.
Google stated that these new features, known as Bard Extensions, will also allow users to extract key points from content in Google Docs and Google Drive, including PDFs.
In addition, the chatbot’s new capabilities will help identify incorrect answers. Users can compare Bard’s output with the results of a Google search query on the same topic, which will highlight any discrepancies.
This feature is aimed at reassuring users who may be deterred by the “hallucinations” or inaccurate responses that can arise when using Bard, ChatGPT, or Microsoft’s Bing.
Microsoft also offers AI-powered capabilities in its Office 365 apps, but these come at an additional cost to customers and are not accessible through the Bing chatbot.
To address privacy concerns, a pop-up message on the Bard webpage assures users that the new features will only access personal data “with your permission.” Google emphasizes that any scraping of personal content from its workplace tools, including Docs, Drive, or Gmail, will not be used for ad targeting, training Bard, or viewed by human reviewers.
In a blog post, the company stated, “You’re always in control of your privacy settings when deciding how you want to use these extensions, and you can turn them off at any time.”
This new product arrives at a time when the future of generative AI chatbots is yet to be determined. According to industry data, usage of ChatGPT has been declining in recent months. Furthermore, when Microsoft integrated its Bing chatbot into its search engine earlier this year, it failed to make a significant impact on Google’s dominant position in the search market.
Nevertheless, governments and tech companies remain convinced that generative AI represents the next major chapter in technology. Consequently, they have increased their investments in new products, research, and infrastructure. – AFP Relaxnews
Credit: The Star : Tech Feed
