Update #2 11/05/20213 at 11:00am ET: In an email statement, Google said that it is rolling out Bard “gradually” and that it is working closely with experts and policymakers to ensure that Bard aligns with local requirements. It will continue to make additional improvements and introduce new features to Bard, and that it will roll it out to more countries, regions and languages over time. More information regarding why the chatbot still isn’t available in Canada can be found here.
Update 11/05/20213 at 09:22am ET: Following the keynote announcement, Bard AI is still unavailable to use in Canada. “Bard isn’t currently supported in your country. Stay tuned!” reads the website.
MobileSyrup has reached out to Google regarding the chatbot’s availability in Canada. This article will be updated with necessary information when available.
Original story below…
At its annual Google I/O developer conference, the Mountain View, California-based company announced the new Pixel Fold, the Pixel Tablet and the mid-range Pixel 7a on the hardware side of things. On the software side, the company detailed several improvements coming to its Bard AI chatbot in the near future.
Google aims to bring its AI chatbot to more users across the globe, add support for more languages, and integrate new features.
For starters, Bard AI is no longer accessible through a waitlist and has entered open preview. Additionally, Bard was only available in the U.S. and the U.K. but is now being opened up to more than 180 countries, with more coming soon.
Today we’re removing the waitlist process and making Bard available in over 180 countries and territories, with more coming soon. 🎉#GoogleIO pic.twitter.com/m6HSzScs4P
— Google (@Google) May 10, 2023
Not just that, Bard AI is now also available in Japanese and Korean, with support for 40 other languages coming soon.
According to Sissie Hsiao, the vice president and GM of Assistant and Bard at Google, since the launch of Bard, users have interacted with the tool in many creative ways. The new upgrades include features that will make Bard more visual, expanding its response capabilities to include rich visuals that give users a better sense of the topics they are exploring.
Users will also be able to include images in their prompts, and Bard will use Google Lens to analyze them and provide relevant responses. Users can also ask questions like “What are some must-see sights in Toronto?” And in addition to text-based information, Bard will also share images of said places to give you a much better sense of what you’re exploring.
Additionally, the company has upgraded the coding capabilities of Bard, and users will now have the option to export their code to Replit, starting with Python, among other services. Bard will also be integrated with various Google apps such as Gmail, Docs, and Drive, among others.
Dark theme is now available in Bard. ⚫
To make Bard easier on your eyes in dim light, you can activate Dark theme right in Bard, or let your OS settings control when it kicks in.#GoogleIO pic.twitter.com/P85P6vdYlE
— Google (@Google) May 10, 2023
In the coming months, Adobe’s Firefly, a family of creative generative AI models, will also be integrated into Bard, allowing users to create high-quality images quickly and easily, similar to StabilityAI’s Stable Diffusion.
All of our Google I/O 2023 content can be found here.
Image credit: Shutterstock
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