Google, the United States tech giant, made an exciting announcement on Thursday regarding its AI chatbot, Bard. The company revealed that Bard is now accessible in approximately 50 additional countries, including all 27 nations of the European Union (EU) and Brazil. This move signifies Google’s efforts to broaden access to its answer to ChatGPT, a similar AI backed by Microsoft.
Bard was initially introduced by Google back in February but faced delays in its release within the European Union. The EU has been actively working on regulations for artificial intelligence due to concerns surrounding the potential risks associated with this rapidly advancing technology.
Google has been striving to keep pace with its competitor, Microsoft, which has been swift in integrating ChatGPT-like capabilities across various products, including the popular Bing search engine.
In a recent blog post, Jack Krawczyk, the product lead for Bard, and Amarnag Subramanya, the vice president, expressed their excitement about Bard’s expanded availability. They stated, “Bard is now available in most of the world, and in the most widely spoken languages.” The blog post emphasized Google’s proactive engagement with experts, policymakers, and privacy regulators as part of their responsible approach to AI expansion.
Google assured users that it would incorporate feedback from users and take necessary measures to safeguard privacy and data while expanding access to Bard.
One of the notable advancements highlighted by Google is Bard’s compatibility with over 40 languages, including Arabic, Chinese, German, Hindi, and Spanish. Previously, Bard was only available in three languages: English, Japanese, and Korean.
Additionally, Google announced the introduction of new features for Bard. Users can now receive audio responses from the AI chatbot or choose from five different response styles: simple, long, short, professional, or casual. Another intriguing feature allows users to upload photos for Bard to analyze and provide relevant information.
Notably, the European Parliament recently backed a draft law, laying the foundation for comprehensive AI regulations worldwide. The law includes specific provisions for generative AI systems like ChatGPT and Dall-E, which have the capability to generate text, images, and other media. Negotiations between the parliament and EU member states are underway to finalize the regulation, with the bloc aiming to reach an agreement by the end of this year.
The proposed rules stipulate that AI-generated content must be clearly identified, and certain AI applications, such as real-time facial recognition systems, are prohibited.
The rise of AI has sparked concerns over potential job displacement and other societal impacts, further emphasizing the need for responsible and regulated AI development.
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