Bard can now connect to your Google apps and services

Google launches Bard Extensions and Double Check. You can use Google Apps within Bard, and, Double Check - highlights Bard’s responses based on info on Google.

Google released some big updates in Bard:

• Extensions: You can use Google Apps within Bard. Maps, Flights, and Hotels for vacation planning. Gmail and Drive for work. And the good old YouTube.

• Double Check: You can now click the lil’ [G] button after a Bard answer to “Google it,” and it’ll highlight parts of the answer in Green and Red based on info on Google.

You can also continue shared chats now, and they have upgraded the version of LLM underlying Bard, but it’s still PaLM 2 (not Gemini). Semafor has done an interview with the general manager for Bard, Sissie Hsiao.

What's going on here?

Google just dropped some big upgrades for its new AI chatbot Bard to make it way more useful.

What does this mean?

Bard can now hook into your Google stuff like Gmail, Docs and Maps to give you personalized responses based on your own data. There's a new "Google it" button so you can double-check anything Bard says using regular Google Search. Bard now works in 40+ languages and has a fancier AI brain so its answers should be higher quality. Basically, Google is turning Bard into a real personal assistant that can help you get things done by tying it into the Google tools you already use all the time.

Why should I care?

These new features make Bard so much more helpful as a virtual assistant. It can tap into your own Google account to give you customized responses for planning trips, writing docs, and anything else you need a hand with. The ability to fact-check Bard's answers helps you trust what it says. More languages and a smarter AI mean Bard will just keep getting better at conversing. This is a big step toward Bard becoming that AI sidekick that can make your life easier and more productive.