As part of an expansion of access to its rival to Microsoft-backed ChatGPT, Google announced on Thursday that its AI chatbot Bard was now accessible in about 50 more countries, including all 27 EU countries and Brazil.
The American tech giant unveiled Bard in February but postponed its release in the EU due to concerns about the risks associated with the quickly developing technology and plans for regulation by the bloc.
Google has been working hard to catch up to rival Microsoft, which has been rushing to incorporate ChatGPT-like features into a variety of its products, including the Bing search engine.
Bard is “now available in most of the world, and in the most widely spoken languages,” Bard’s product lead Jack Krawczyk and vice president Amarnag Subramanya wrote in a blog.
“As part of our bold and responsible approach to AI, we’ve proactively engaged with experts, policymakers, and privacy regulators on this expansion,” they said.
The business declared that as it increases access to Bard, it will take into account user feedback and take precautions to protect users’ data and privacy.
Arabic, Chinese, German, Hindi, and Spanish are just a few of the more than 40 languages that can now be used with the AI tool. Previously, it was available in three languages: English, Japanese, and Korean.
Google also announced new features, such as receiving audio responses from Bard or answering questions in one of five different styles: simple, long, short, professional, or casual.
Another new feature allows users to upload photos for analysis by Bard.
Last month, the European Parliament approved a draft law that will serve as the foundation for the world’s first comprehensive AI rules.
It includes specific provisions for generative AI systems capable of producing text, images, and other media, such as ChatGPT and Dall-E.
The EU’s member states and the European Parliament will negotiate the regulation before it is approved, and the bloc hopes to reach an agreement by the end of the year.
The rules require AI-generated content to be labelled as such and prohibit some AI, such as real-time facial recognition systems.
The rise of AI has sparked a slew of fears, including the possibility that it will render many jobs obsolete.
