Google announced sweeping updates to its artificial intelligence language model Bard on Thursday as the ChatGPT-rival was launched in Europe.
Bard can now process and provide information or comments on images, according to parent Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG), with users also able to tell the bot to give different tones or styles of response.
Having also launched the bot in Brazil, Google parent Alphabet unveiled Bard’s new ability to work with, and even read responses aloud in over 40 languages.
“Sometimes hearing something out loud can help you approach your idea in a different way,” Google senior product director Jack Krawczyk commented.
“This is especially helpful if you want to hear the correct pronunciation of a word or listen to a poem or script.”
Alphabet reassured that the likes of regulators and experts had been consulted as the company expanded the language model’s abilities, following concerns over data usage.
Irish regulators had mulled over Bard’s privacy controls, though Thursday’s “biggest update to date” looked to address fears.
According to Krawczyk, Bard was equipped with features to ensure greater “transparency” and “control” ahead of its latest rollout, having initially been released in the likes of the UK and US in March.
This includes a privacy hub, which offers users insights into how information uploaded to the bot is used, as well as the option to delete conversations.
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)-backed rival ChatGPT is being investigated in several European countries meanwhile, following concerns over how generative AI meets general data protection rules.
Nonetheless, despite Bard's update, Ireland's Data Protection Commission confirmed discussions would continue with Google over the bot, with a report due in three months relating to its data protection measures in Europe.