Google has announced a significant upgrade to its Bard chatbot, revealing that it is now powered by the Gemini Pro model globally.
This enhancement brings support for over 40 languages, including Arabic, Chinese, Dutch, French, German, Hindi, Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam.
The move follows Google’s introduction of its new generative AI models in December, featuring the flagship Gemini Ultra, “lite” Gemini Pro, and Gemini Nano designed for devices like the Pixel 8.
Initially launched with Gemini Pro for English conversations, Bard has now been upgraded to offer improved capabilities in understanding and summarizing content, reasoning, brainstorming, writing, and planning across multiple languages.
Since its original unveiling in February 2023, Bard has undergone several iterations on the back end. Initially powered by LaMDA (Language Model for Dialogue Applications), it was later updated with the PaLM 2 model before transitioning to Gemini Pro.
Now, Bard powered by Gemini Pro will be accessible in more than 230 countries, although the nomenclature of these models might be confusing to users.
In a bid to enhance user experience, Google introduced a “Double check” feature in September, leveraging Google Search to verify the accuracy of Bard’s responses.
Initially available only in English, this feature is now extended to support over 40 languages, ensuring broader accessibility and reliability for users worldwide.
Furthermore, Google is introducing image generation support through the Imagen 2 model, released in December.
While currently limited to English, this feature allows users to generate images based on textual descriptions provided within the chatbot interface, such as “create an image of a futuristic car.”
To safeguard the authenticity of generated images, Google has embedded a SynthID digital watermark developed by DeepMind into the pixels.
However, users must utilize Google’s tools to identify images created by Bard.
In recent months, Google has integrated Bard’s AI capabilities into various products and services, including Google Assistant, enabling users to perform tasks like trip planning and creating grocery lists. Additionally, in November, Bard was made available to teenagers in English with strict content restrictions to ensure safety and compliance.
