Google Bard, the AI chatbot released by Google, initially failed to impress. It even plagiarized our content in the Google Bard vs ChatGPT comparison, which was disheartening. However, at the Google I/O 2023 devcon, the company presented the revamped Google Bard AI with numerous new features that quickly outperformed its competitors. Now, let’s explore these Google Bard Features impressive improvements.
1. Google Bard now Powered by PaLM 2
Google Bard is now powered by PaLM 2, the company’s next-generation language model. This improved LLM incorporates upgraded reasoning and coding changes.
PaLM 2 enhances Google Bard with new features not previously possible. According to Google’s blog post, the new large language models (LLMs) in PaLM 2 incorporate scientific papers and mathematical expressions, enabling greater proficiency in complex logical reasoning and mathematical problem-solving. Additionally, PaLM 2 outperforms its predecessors in terms of speed, resulting in faster responses from Bard. The new LLM also includes numerous other advancements.
2. Google Bard Can Now Read Images
While Bard lacks the multimodal capabilities of OpenAI’s latest GPT-4 LLM, it can now intelligently interpret and provide responses to images. This is made possible through the direct integration of Google Lens into Bard. Google Lens is a technology developed by the company for image recognition. By integrating Google Lens, Bard gains the ability to read various types of images and generate suitable responses.
Google demonstrated this capability by inputting a photo of two canines into Bard. The AI was subsequently prompted to generate a humorous caption for the image. In a matter of seconds, Google Bard assessed the picture and produced several imaginative captions that are readily available for utilization. Although the company did not showcase additional applications, the image recognition functionality of Google Bard is undoubtedly one of its most impressive features.
3. Google Bard Built-in Image Generator
Companies like Microsoft have had great success by adding native services like the Bing AI Image Creator to their portfolio. Along with the top AI art generators, these tools have become essential. Although Bard has been lagging in this area, that is about to change. Google will soon introduce a built-in image generator into the bot, allowing users to create AI art without leaving the tab.
This is made possible by Adobe Firefly, a family of creative generative AI models that can generate high-quality images on the fly. Google will integrate Firefly’s model into Bard for convenient access to the service. Users can request images from Bard and receive outputs through Adobe Firefly.
You can further edit these images or import them into Adobe Express for additional editing. With AI image generation tools like Midjourney quickly becoming standard, Google Bard includes a built-in image generator.
4. More Visual now available Google Bard
Microsoft Bing AI Chat went open to all and introduced numerous new features, including the capability to respond with images. In a similar fashion, Google has now endowed Bard with the ability to provide visual responses. In the near future, Bard will intelligently utilize Google Search to offer useful visual context in addition to text results when prompted with various queries.
It will display these combined results in the chat for easy access. According to Google, these images should give users a better sense of their results and we agree. Image insertion in Bard should be available to users in the coming weeks. It will also come to Google Search with the new “Generative AI” feature.
5. Bard Gets Google Services Integration
In addition to being a chatbot, Google Bard is planning to integrate other services. Google is creating a seamless connection between Bard and services like Google Sheets, Docs, and Maps to streamline workflow and add new features.
The company showcased an example in its recent keynote. Sissie Hsiao, Bard’s GM, demonstrated this by asking the bot to find college programs based on her interests. After Bard provided the results, Sissie requested a map display, and the AI instantly showed them using Google Maps.
Afterwards, she requested it to generate the outcomes in an organized table with various columns for college names, locations, degrees, and additional information. Once the table was completed, Bard successfully transferred the entire table to Google Sheets without losing the formatting. This is a significant advancement in Bard’s aim to facilitate cross-platform collaboration. Although not all of these features are currently available, Google has plans to introduce them to Bard in the near future.
6. Google Bard Features includes Tools (Plugins)
The service integration extends beyond Google products, with contributions from other companies’ extensions to enhance the functionality of Bard AI. If you have been keeping up with recent advancements in AI, you may recall that OpenAI’s ChatGPT has introduced support for plugins, a significant development enabling the bot to leverage a wider range of experiences. Google has also made progress in this area and, in addition to Adobe Firefly’s integration, Bard will benefit from plugin experiences offered by partner companies.
Google will soon partner with services like Kayak, Spotify, OpenTable, ZipRecruiter, Instacart, Wolfram, and Khan Academy to bring diverse experiences to Bard. This collaboration will enhance Google Bard features and offer opportunities for education, productivity, leisure, and more. With Google’s integration with its own services, the upcoming Bard tools will further empower the AI bot.
7. Your Bard AI Can Code for You
Previously, when comparing Google Bard to ChatGPT, we discovered that Bard couldn’t fulfill coding requests. Bard AI’s FAQ page also confirmed that they hadn’t added support for it. Although the bot could still produce basic HTML responses, the code was sometimes incorrect and unreliable. However, Google I/O 2023 has revealed that Google Bard AI will now include programming features.
Google Bard is capable of performing various coding functions, such as effortlessly generating, debugging, and explaining code. In the I/O demonstration, Bard AI flawlessly generated the “Scholar’s Mate move in Chess” using Python and provided a detailed explanation of the code. Moreover, Google Bard also provides citations for the rendered code to enable verification.
After completing the output, users can export the code to Google Collab or Replit for generating results. Google Bard supports over 20 programming languages such as HTML/CSS, Java, C, C++, Dart, Kotlin, and others. This will greatly assist beginners in coding and previous users who were learning how to code with ChatGPT.
8. Google Bard Serves Multiple Drafts
Although ChatGPT delivers prompt and excellent responses, its answers can sometimes be repetitive. In contrast, Google Bard offers an exceptional feature known as drafts. In essence, drafts allow users to obtain multiple responses for a given query from the AI chatbot. Each response is distinct and may provide a unique perspective based on the prompt.
Google Bard automatically generates three different versions of an answer, allowing users to select the most suitable response. Users can choose one version or combine different versions to obtain the desired answer. Additionally, the AI bot creates drafts of these answers without any additional steps required. Therefore, for users seeking alternative perspectives from the AI, the draft feature in Google Bard is a valuable addition.
9. Support for Extended Languages
Despite the numerous features in OpenAI’s GPT-4 LLM, such as multimodal response, it is limited to over 26 languages. However, this does not adequately cover the wide range of languages available globally. Google surprised everyone with the recent announcement that Bard will soon support more than 40 languages.
The new feature significantly expands the AI bot’s capabilities, allowing it to fully communicate with users worldwide in their preferred language. These 40 languages will encompass widely spoken ones to provide extensive support. Additionally, Google stated that users can now communicate with Bard in Japanese and Korean. Once fully implemented, the extended multilingual support will be one of Bard’s standout features.
10. You Can Export Bard Chats with a Click
If you followed our guide on saving and sharing ChatGPT conversations, you already know how frustrating it is to copy and paste text from AI chatbots to other applications and services. While Google now offers an export button for its coding outputs, the company is going a step further in sharing and utilizing outputs.
You can now export your Google Bard conversations directly to services such as Google Docs and Gmail. This applies to all types of Bard messages. Google states that these one-click options will streamline workflows and make the AI output process faster.
The new chat export feature seamlessly opens a new window and pastes the output onto Gmail or Google Docs for immediate submission. Users seeking a swift way to export their chats will find solace in this feature.
11. Night Mode: Bard AI Gets Dark Mode
While some users may find this feature too small to include, the crowd at Google I/O disagreed. Google Bard now offers a new dark mode, which is a visually appealing combination of various shades of dark and grey.
To switch over to the new dark mode, all one needs to do is click on the handy dark theme button on the bottom left sidebar and they are good to go. So go on and enable one of Google Bard’s most welcomed and best features.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Google Bard?
Google Bard is an AI chatbot developed by Google. It utilizes advanced language models and AI technologies to interact with users and provide helpful responses to queries.
What are the new features of Google Bard?
Some of the new features of Google Bard include being powered by PaLM 2, the ability to read images, a built-in image generator, visual responses, integration with Google services, plugin experiences, coding capabilities, support for multiple drafts, extended language support, easy chat export, and dark mode.
Can Google Bard generate images?
Yes, Google Bard now has a built-in image generator that allows users to create AI-generated art directly within the chatbot.
What programming languages does Google Bard support?
Google Bard supports over 20 programming languages, including HTML/CSS, Java, C, C++, Dart, and Kotlin.
Can I use Google Bard in different languages?
Yes, Google Bard will soon support over 40 languages, allowing users to converse with the AI chatbot in their preferred language.
How can I export my conversations with Google Bard?
You can easily export your conversations with Google Bard to services like Google Docs and Gmail with just one click.
Does Google Bard have a dark mode?
Yes, Google Bard now offers a dark mode option, providing users with a visually appealing dark theme.
