During the Made by Google live event, Google announced a significant update to its popular mobile personal assistant, Google Assistant. The new version, called Assistant with Bard, combines the capabilities of Google Assistant with the power of generative AI technologies.
Key Takeaway
Google Assistant gets an upgrade with the introduction of Assistant with Bard, merging the capabilities of Google Assistant and generative AI technologies. This integration allows Assistant to provide more intelligent responses and personalized assistance by accessing the user’s Google apps. The enhanced mobile experience offers various interactive modes, including voice commands, typed queries, and camera integration. With Bard’s integration, Assistant gains advanced AI capabilities and the ability to double-check answers. The rollout of Assistant with Bard will initially be in select markets, followed by a broader launch on iOS and Android.
Expanded Functionality
Assistant with Bard can now handle a broader range of tasks and questions. Users can still ask basic queries like “what’s the weather?” or “set an alarm,” but now they can also receive more intelligent responses thanks to Google’s Bard AI.
The integration with Bard allows Assistant to dive into the user’s Google apps, such as Gmail and Google Drive, to provide personalized responses. For example, users can ask Assistant to catch them up on important emails, and the assistant will retrieve the relevant information from Gmail.
This functionality builds upon the recent update to Bard, which enabled integration with various Google apps and services. With Bard extensions, users can seamlessly access Gmail, Docs, Drive, Maps, YouTube, Google Flights, and hotels. Assistant with Bard offers the same capabilities, allowing users to interact with their personal data within the Assistant app.
Personalized Task Management
In addition to accessing emails, Assistant with Bard offers expanded capabilities for personal tasks. Users can now use the assistant for trip planning, creating grocery lists, or even writing social media captions. This update aims to gauge user behavior and preferences before making the feature widely available on Android and iOS.
Enhanced Mobile Experience
Assistant with Bard is optimized for mobile devices, leveraging various functionalities to enhance the user experience. Users can interact with Assistant through voice commands, typed queries, or even by using their phone’s camera through Bard’s Google Lens integration.
The incorporation of Bard into Google Assistant allows users to ask questions, take and upload pictures, and receive relevant responses. Additionally, certain mobile devices, such as Google Pixel and select Samsung phones, offer a conversational overlay feature. By long-pressing the power or home button, users can bring up a floating window that allows Assistant with Bard to respond based on the content displayed on the screen.
Advanced AI Capabilities
With Bard’s integration, Assistant gains access to the web version’s features, including the ability to double-check answers in the event of potential AI hallucinations. This feature aims to address the issue of AIs constructing incorrect responses based on false information.
Global Rollout
The initial launch of Assistant with Bard will be in select markets, not limited to English-speaking ones. Google has not disclosed which markets and languages will receive the update first. However, over the coming months, the upgraded Assistant functionality will be rolled out more broadly to iOS and Android mobile users. Google is also considering expanding to other platforms.
