Google will connect Bard to all of its applications and services

Google’s generative AI can now be accessed directly through Google apps and services. The chatbot can give you personalized answers based on the information displayed in the documents you create using Google applications.

Google is obviously ready to take the second step with Bard. The Mountain View company has just officially announced that it will integrate its conversation robot into all of its applications and online services. By relying on your own data, the chatbot can give you personalized answers that perfectly fit your needs. Notably, Google stated that Bard features that were previously only available in English would now be available in other languages and in other countries.

Features now available in 40 languages

Google wants to put Bard everywhere. To achieve this, the Mountain View company needs to expand the functionality of its chatbot, which is available in English, to other languages. Google plans to make features already available in English available in around forty languages, including French. You can now send images from Bard to Google Lens, receive images in chatbot responses, or change the tone and length of chatbot responses. Google even has an option that lets you share the conversation you just had with Bard via a public link.

Bard in all Google apps

But the biggest development that Google brings with Bard is undoubtedly the ability to connect the chatbot to Google applications and services using Bard extensions. The module that isn’t currently only available in English, is intended to offer “an entirely new way to interact and collaborate with Bard,” explains Google. Specifically, Bard Extensions adds an access button to the chatbot in various Google apps and services so you can query it. Generative AI can then rely on the information displayed in the applications you use every day (Google Docs, YouTube, Gmail, Google Maps, Google Drive, Google Flight, etc.) to provide you with personalized and contextualized answers.

To support its point, Google uses the example of travel planning. You can ask Bard to pull data from Gmail that’s appropriate for all participants, then search Google Flight for airline tickets and hotel rooms that match that data. Bard can then use Google Maps to plan the route to the airport or show you YouTube videos summarizing all the possible activities there. The chatbot can provide a complete answer and integrate your data directly into the conversation.

Read also: Bard is available in France: how to access it, what are the differences with ChatGPT?

Additionally, Google is introducing a new G button for English Bard users (Google it), which, when clicked, allows you to review the answer provided by Bard. The chatbot then reads the displayed response and searches for supporting content online.

However, Bard’s use of personal information to provide responses may raise questions about its confidentiality. Google assures you that when you use the Bard extension in Workspace, no human can access your Gmail, Google Docs, and Google Drive data. They are also not used by Bard to show you advertising or train the AI. If you want, you can even disable Bard extensions in Google applications.