Google jumps after launching AI bot Bard in Europe, Brazil
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Google shares rose nearly 5% on Thursday after the tech giant launched its chatbot Bard in Europe and Brazil and said the artificial intelligence tool can now be interacted with in over 40 languages, and includes new features such as using images in chat.
Google, a unit of Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL), said it is Bard's biggest expansion to date and it is now available in most of the world, and in the most widely spoken languages, including Arabic, Chinese, German, Hindi and Spanish.
The company also launched new updates so Bard's responses better suit users' needs.
The new features include â listening to Bardâs responses; use images in prompts wherein users can upload images with prompts and Bard will analyze the photo; export code to more places; share responses with friends; pin and rename conversations; and change the tone and style of Bard's responses to five options - simple, long, short, professional or casual.
This image feature is now live in English, and the company plans to expand it to new languages soon.
The EU is among the last places on Earth to get access to Bard, which launched in about 180 countries earlier this year. The delay was because of uncertainty surrounding the AI bot's compliance with the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Bloomberg reported citing the company.
Google Senior Product Director Jack Krawczyk noted that the company will now provide users clear notices about how their data is being utilized and stored.
The users will decide whether to allow or not the company's employees to review conversations, which Google does to improve the product. These control options will be available worldwide and not just in the EU, according to the report.
Chatbot AI services developed on large language models, or LLMs, have seen obstacles in Europe before as well due to existing data protection laws. Microsoft (MSFT)-backed OpenAI's ChatGPT, previously was temporarily shut down in Italy over related concerns.
Following the release of ChatGPT, several companies including Alibaba (BABA), SenseTime (OTCPK:SNTMF) and Baidu (BIDU) have launched their own generative AI services.
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